The School of Friendship is having its annual reunion! And while Gallus is ecstatic to see his old friends again, he may have to deal with some changes he wasn't prepared for.
Years after Graduation, Gallus and his friends have all made successful lives for themselves. While they may have drifted apart, they still kept each other in their hearts.
But with the annual School of Friendship Reunion underway, Gallus is ready to reconnect with friends, revisit old haunts, and reignite those very bonds.
But time affects everyone differently. And Gallus will have to learn that the more things stay the same... The more things change.
“The more things change, the more they stay the same…”
“These words were famously said by the Praetorian era General Gearfried, in response to the recent renaissance of griffon architecture having a profound effect on griffon culture. Now, can anyone tell me whether the Praetorian era came before, during, or after King Grover’s reign?”
Professor Gallus looked around his classroom. Eager young cubs with a spark in their eyes Gallus was overjoyed to see in the new generation of griffons.
One young Griff in particular, a girl with black feathers and white fur, thrust her claw up in the air immediately. Complete with a quiet little “Ooh! Ooh!”
Gallus smirked. “Anyone other than Gyldie? Who has answered every other question today and I’m sure would love to give her classmates a chance to answer.”
Gyldie slowly lowered her claw, looking sheepish as her classmates gave a slight laugh.
Another Griff, a boy who was wistfully gazing at Gyldie, caught Gallus’ attention.
“Gan! You seem to have such a rapt interest in the topic.” Gallus said, immediately drawing the attention of the lovestruck tom, who sputtered a pitiful excuse.
“Once again, was the Praetorian era of griffon-kind before, during, or after the reign of King Grover?” Gallus asked.
Gan looked away towards the ceiling, trying every mnemonic device he taught himself to try and not make a fool of himself in front of Gyldie.
“Um… Okay, it can’t be after cause that was during the Dark Age of Griffonstone.” Gan surmised.
Gallus nodded. “Good, keep going.”
“Um… well… we had other griffon kings before Grover. They just didn’t have as big of an empire. And Praetorian refers to…” Gan was visibly wracking his brain, screwing his eyes shut.
“You’re on the right track, Gan.” Gallus said, smiling at his student. “What does the word Praetorian refer to?”
Gallus ignored Gyldie raising her claw again as Gan continued thinking.
“Praetorian refers to… Oh! The Council of Praetors! This was back when griffons were separated into city-states. And each city-state had a representative called a Praetor who served in a council together.” Gan finally surmised, flashing a smile at Gyldie who happily returned it.
‘Ah, young love.’ Gallus thought to himself.
“That’s absolutely correct, Gan. The Council of Praetors was the closest thing to a singular leadership griffon-kind had during the Praetorian Era. Though in practice, all they really did was give each other the courtesy of a warning whenever they went to war over trade disputes.” Gallus explained.
A second later, the school bell rang, marking the end of the day. Gallus quickly called out to his students who were already milling out the door.
“Just a reminder, I’m going to be taking the next week off on vacation. So if anygriff has any questions or concerns for me, talk to me before I leave school today. Otherwise, have a great weekend, be nice to the substitute, and I will see you all the week after.”
A few of the students called back, wishing their Professor Gallus a great vacation. Gyldie was about to leave with Gan when she held up a claw, asking him to wait for her.
As Gallus was putting away his effects in his bag, Gyldie came up to him with that same spark in her eyes Gallus had come to love seeing in all of his students.
“Professor Gallus? I just wanted to check in with you about that potential extra credit assignment we talked about?” Gyldie asked.
“Why you would want to do more schoolwork when you’re already a straight A student is beyond me, but yes, I have given it some thought. Personally, I think it’s a great topic for an opinion piece. Historical Rediscovery is still a relatively new field for Griffonstone’s academic community, and I know your paper is sure to make those old gizzards ponder for a good long while.” Gallus said.
Despite that, Gyldie seemed a little worried. “Are you sure it’s not too… controversial? I mean, King Grover holds a lot of reverence in the historical community in Griffonstone, and not without good reason. I’m just worried that a more negative view into his reign might be taken the wrong way. Especially by some of Griffonstone’s more… conservative historians.”
Gallus nodded. “Well, look on the bright side. They’re so old that they’ll croak in a few years. Then you won’t have to worry about them complaining.”
“Professor Gallus!” Gyldie said, giving the older Griff an admonishing glare.
Gallus raised his hands in defense, chuckling at Gyldie’s reaction. “In all seriousness, you can’t be afraid to challenge griffons who might be stuck thinking a certain way. How do you think Primarch Gilda got her title?”
Gyldie looked downwards in thought. “That’s… true.”
Gallus nodded. “Gyldie, I say this with absolutely no hyperbole or boasting: You are one of the brightest and most insightful griffons I have ever met. You cannot stifle or restrain how you see our past because I can’t even bear to think about how that would affect how you see our future.”
Gyldie sighed. “You’re putting an awful lot of pressure on one Griff, sir.”
Gallus shook his head. “I have the same expectation for every young Griff your age. You are the future of our kind. You have to remember, when I was your age, Griffonstone was a corpse of what it was. And the entire griffon race were the maggots infesting it.”
Gyldie looked a little green in the gills. “That’s… a colorful analogy.”
“But not inaccurate, sadly.” Gallus said. “Point is, this paper of yours will be important going forward. Knowing the mistakes of our past will better prepare us for the future. Heck, that’s pretty much the entire point of history!”
Gyldie gave another look towards her Professor, before throwing her claws around his neck, embracing him in a hug.
“Thank you, sir.” Gyldie said before letting go. “You really have no idea how lucky we all are to have you.”
Gallus smiled. “Kid, you have no idea how backwards you got it.”
---
“So, where are you going again?” Greta asked Gallus, who was enjoying his last coffee of the day before heading home.
“Oh, that’s right. This is your first year here.” Gaster said, his butt currently sticking out of the faculty lounge’s fridge as he rummaged around it. “Yeah, this is something he does every year. Guy went abroad in Equestria when he was a kid and went native so hard he goes back there every year to prance with the ponies.”
Gallus shot Gaster a look. “Okay, one, I kind of had to go ‘abroad’ as you call it since formal education in Griffonstone didn’t even exist when we were kids. Two, It’s an annual School Reunion. I’m an alumni at the School of Friendship, so I get an invitation every year. It’s not like I’m gonna turn down free food.”
Gaster let out a boisterous laugh. “You hear this, Greta! ‘School of Friendship’. What was your senior project? Flower crowns?”
“Lay off, Gaster.” Greta said before turning her attention back to Gallus. “So, the Reunion lasts a whole week?”
Gallus took a sip of coffee. “Well, no. The event itself is only a day. But some old school buddies of mine like to use it as an excuse to take a week off and just catch up, y’know? It’s a great way for us to stay in touch with each other.”
Gaster snorted. “Yeah, I bet you and your pony pals are gonna have a gay ol’ time singing and dancing and picking flowers-”
“Oh, for sure.” Gallus said, shutting Gaster up. “And when we’re done with that, I can bring them back home to Griffonstone. My dragon friend can set fire to your house, my yak friend can smash the charred remains, my changeling friend can devour your soul, and my hippogriff friend, who’s a princess I might add, can call for your execution. But don’t worry, my pony friend will sing a nice song to cheer you up.”
Greta and Gaster looked gobsmacked at the smug, blue griffon… before Gaster started heaving with laughter. “Bwahahahaha!!! Oh my Grover, Gallus! I had no idea you had such an imagination!”
---
Gallus could not get out of Griffonstone fast enough.
Oh sure, his homeland had improved by leaps and bounds since he left to attend the School of Friendship, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Primarch Gilda and the few griffons crazy enough to actually follow her civil restoration plans. But it was still Griffonstone at its core, still filled to the brim with jerks and swindlers who wouldn’t understand the concept of basic decency if you shoved their beaks in a dictionary.
That said, what Gallus said to Gyldie was true. Griffonstone would be a better place once her generation took over, maybe even something resembling Grover’s reign. Griffonstone was on its way to being something wonderful again. Gallus was just a little impatient, wishing it could happen now rather than later.
‘What was that one line from that Kirin musical?’ Gallus thought, riding the train towards Ponyville. ‘A legacy is a garden you never get to see? Sounds about right…’ Sometimes Gallus resented his friends for giving him hope for the future. Trying to remain optimistic about a utopian peace that he would probably never get to be a part of was exhausting.
Still, Gallus allowed himself to forget all those woes, at least for the time being. It was Reunion Week! The next nine days were going to be spent doing nothing but hanging with his old buds and generally get into nonsense just like when they were kids.
Just with a few changes made along the years.
---
The School of Friendship had hardly changed, of course. Why fix what isn't broken? Despite Gallus and his friend’s many many attempts to break it. All accidental, of course, regardless of whatever Counselor Starlight said.
Oh gods, Gallus hoped he wouldn’t bump into her. He liked Counselor Starlight as much as any other student, but that mare could hold a grudge.
So Gallus considered himself lucky when the first familiar face he saw was his pony brother from another mother.
“Hey, Sandbar!” Gallus called out, drawing the lime green pony’s attention away from the smalltalk he was in with the other alumni.
It took Sandbar a millisecond to register Gallus’ voice before he charged straight towards the griffon, scooping him up in a big bear hug.
“Gallus! Dude, it’s been way too long!” Sandbar said, clearly not caring about the stares at their display.
“Gah! Dude, I am feeling the love but your crushing the merchandise!” Gallus said, happily returning the hug all the same.
Gallus took a deep breath, letting the feeling come back into his lungs. “I swear man, you’re becoming more and more like a yak everytime I see you. Pretty soon, you’re gonna be sprouting horns!”
Sandbar kicked the floor sheepishly. “Heh, well I do kinda have to be a little Rough and Tumble these days, what with-”
“UNCLE GALLUS!!!”
“Oh no…” Gallus face sunk as he heard his doom approach. Thunderous stomps echoed throughout the main hallway as alumni and faculty alike quickly spread out to the edges of the hall, giving a wide berth to two tiny green balls of fur and horns.
Who were charging straight towards Gallus.
“Nonono! Kids! Stop!” But Gallus’ urging fell on deaf, hyperactive ears as the pony-yak hybrids charged straight into dear ol’ Uncle Gallus, pinning him to the ground.
“Uncle Gallus! We missed you SOOOOO much!” Sorrel said, nuzzling into Gallus’ chest.
“Did ya bring us anything from Griffonstone, Uncle Gallus!? Did ya!? Did ya!? Did ya!?” Nettle said, bouncing on Gallus’ stomach.
‘So this is it.’ Gallus thought as he struggled to breathe. ‘This is how I die. Honestly, it’s a lot more dignified than I imagined.’
“Okay, kids! Okay!” Sandbar said, grunting as he plucked his children off the broken griffon. “Let’s pump the brakes before you put Uncle Gallus in traction. You aight, G?”
Gallus let out a huff. “Oh yeah. On the plus side, I can skip my next visit to my chiropractor.”
Gallus struggled as he got up to his feet. He shot a glare at his honorary niece and nephew before his face softened. “Ah, I can’t be mad at you little cannonballs. Come here, gently!” Gallus said, opening his arms for a much more pleasant hug with his niece and nephew.
Gallus looked up from the curtain of fur that was currently embracing him. “So where’s their mother?”
“Yona’s already with Ocellus and Silverstream in the library. They asked me to stand watch out here and wait for you and Smolder so I can take you straight to them.” Sandbar said, picking up Sorrel and placing her on his back.
“Makes sense.” Gallus decided to ease his friends burden a bit as he placed Nettle on his own back, his legs buckling under the weight just a tad. “Does that mean Smolder hasn’t arrived yet?”
Nettle put his forehooves on top of Gallus’ head. “Nu-uh! We’re still waiting for Auntie Smolder!”
“Well, I guess I can wait with you guys. Can’t imagine she’ll be much longer.” Gallus said.
“I’unno…” Sandbar said. “Smolder was never the most punctual out of all of us.”
“Heh, true.” Gallus said. “Still though, I’ve always kind of admired her for, y’know, ‘keeping it real’ the most out of us.”
“What do you mean ‘keeping it real’?” Sandbar asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Ah, you know, just how she’s changed the least. Whatever the rest of us go through, or however much we change, Smolder’s always been that sense of stability for the rest of us. That she’ll always be the same old Smolder, no matter what.” Gallus said, thinking back on old reunions.
No matter how many years had passed, Smolder always had the same story for them.
“Been kicking around the Dragon Lands, building my horde, doing whatever. You know how it is.”
And then she would just get lost in whatever shenanigans the six decided to do that week until their adult obligations called for them to split up again.
In a weird way, Gallus appreciated how Smolder’s life never really got any more complicated after graduation. She was just… Smolder. Purely and completely.
A reminder of simpler times, Gallus assumed.
“Hey, fellas!” A scratchy voice called out. Speak of the dragon.
Gallus and Sandbar looked over to the voice back at the entrance… and stopped gobsmacked as their jaws hit the floor.
There was Smolder, alright. Looking about the same as ever, except maybe a head or two taller then when they were kids.
But what was different, really different, about her was the bundle of yellow scales and white tiny nubby horns Smolder was currently cradling in her arms.
Smolder waved at the two boys with her free hand, seemingly oblivious to the massive red flag currently nestling into the crook of her arm. “Long time, no see guys!”
Gallus didn’t respond, still staring haplessly at the baby dragon she was carrying.
Gallus blinked, then blinked again. His brain hadn’t quite registered what his eyes were seeing.
He almost blanked out when Smolder gave him a tight half-hug with her free arm, apparently not minding smushing her baby between their chests. Though the baby dragon didn’t seem to mind either as it was busy just staring at Gallus with curious eyes, probably having never seen a griffon before.
“Man, it’s so awesome seeing you guys again. You have no idea how much I missed you losers.” Smolder said, letting go of Gallus to hug Sandbar, who was much more attentive to the affection.
Nettle and Sorrel ran circles around Smolder’s feet, chanting “Auntie Smolder! Auntie Smolder!”
Smolder looked down at the two green blurs. “Scorch’s Horn! Look at you two! Last time I saw you, you were basically balls of fluff. Now you got actual faces!”
“So, uh… You have a baby.” Gallus finally said, the hamster in his brain finally turning his wheel.
“I do?” Smolder said, a confused look on her face. She looked down at the lumpy mass of yellow scales in her arms that babbled incoherently. “Holy moly! I do! How about that!?”
A crooked smile broke through Smolder’s fake surprise as she gave a not-too-soft punch to Gallus’ shoulder. “C’mon, G. Pick your jaw up off the ground before something crawls in.”
Gallus blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “S-Sorry. It’s just… kind of a surprise. No one mentioned this in any letters!” Gallus turned to Sandbar. “Did you know?”
Sandbar shrugged. “First I’m hearing of it.”
Smolder gave a nervous chuckle. “Yeah, well… It did happen pretty recently. Lil’ Brim here ain’t even a month old.”
“Brim?” Gallus asked.
“Short for Brimstone.” Smolder said. “Plus, I kinda wanted to tell you guys in person. Figured the Reunion would be the perfect time.”
Sorrel and Nettle suddenly gasped as the tried to clamber up Smolder’s legs to get a closer look at her baby. “Does this mean we have a cousin!?” Sorrel half-asked, half-demanded.
Sandbar’s face screwed in thought. “Does it? I’m not entirely sure how that works.”
Smolder laughed. “Sandy, at this point, our group dynamic can best be described as ‘Tags on a Fanfiction site’.” She looked down at the Pony-Yaks still clambering on her legs. “If you guys wanna call Brim your cousin, that’s fine by me. I’m sure he’d love to be your cousin.”
Brim garbled non-committedly.
Sandbar smiled before finally pulling his kids off ‘Auntie’ Smolder’s leg. “Alright, kids, stop trying to bowl over everybody. Let’s get back to your mom and the others.” As he tried his best to wrangle the twins towards the library, he looked back towards Gallus and Smolder. “We’re all meeting in the library. You guys remember the way?”
Gallus and Smolder nodded. “With all the times Ocellus dragged us there, it’s pretty much burned into memory.” Gallus said.
Sandbar nodded. “Then why don’t you two go on ahead while I grab something for the kids to eat. That should calm them down a little. Smolder, do you want me to grab anything for Brim?”
“Not unless you got any powdered gemstones laying around.” Smolder said, smirking. “Don’t worry, I brought plenty of grub for the little guy.”
With that, Sandbar took the twins and left the two alone, still standing in the main hall with the rest of the Reunion attendees paying them not much mind.
“So…” Gallus said, trying to find a topic. “Any chance we’re going to meet the father?”
Gallus immediately knew he said something wrong when he saw Smolder’s face fell. She still smiled, but he could tell that she was doing it for his benefit.
“Yeah, uh, that’s not happening.” Smolder said, tightening her grip on Brim as she rubbed the top of his head. “Brim’s dad… He’s not in the picture, so to speak.”
“Oh.” Was all Gallus said. “What… What happened?”
Smolder shot a look at Gallus. Not angry, but more just… tired. Resigned.
“If you want to talk about it, that is. If not, I totally understand.” Gallus tried to backpedal. He honestly wasn’t sure he actually wanted to know.
Smolder sighed. “No, it’s fine, really. It’s just so… basic.”
Gallus raised an eyebrow. “Basic?”
Smolder shrugged. “Yeah, y’know? It’s just… what you hear about a million times. Girl meets guy, guy gets girl pregnant, guy doesn’t want to be a dad, guy disappears. It’s just… basic. No real tragedy or special story, just a thing that happened.”
Gallus watched Smolder look down at the baby in her arms. Her smile returned the second Brim grabbed her claw, apparently trying to wrestle it. Even fighting dirty with a few bites thrown in.
“I don’t want you to think I regret it or that I don’t want this. I love Brim with all my heart and I’m so lucky to have him in my life.” Smolder shot a look towards Gallus that he honestly couldn’t read. “I’m glad that it happened. I’m just… Sorry for how it happened.”
Gallus looked down at the ‘happy accident’ in question. It was only now that Gallus could actually see some of the toll being put on Smolder. The lines under eyes, the resigned way she let Brim squirm around in her arms. But through it all, Gallus could still see the love in her eyes everytime they merely glanced at Brim. The devotion in how tightly she held him close.
“Screw him.” Gallus said. “Honestly, from the sound of the guy, you probably wouldn’t even want his help raising Brim. Probably end up a jerk like him.”
Smolder let out a sharp laugh. “Ha! Ain’t that the truth, right little guy?” She said, booping Brim on the snout, eliciting a mirthful giggle from the babe.
Gallus smiled. “I’m sorry the guy couldn’t see what a great deal he got. A guy would have to be some kind of moron to give you up.”
“True.” Smolder said with a shrug. “I am a prize.”
“And a package deal on top!” Gallus said. “I mean, a great woman and a beautiful baby?”
Smolder cast a sideways glance towards Gallus. “Is this the part where you tell me you always loved me, G?”
“Pff, you wish.” Gallus said. “I’m just saying… Don’t give it another thought, Smolder. You and Brim are gonna be just fine without the deadbeat.”
“Hey, the guy was out of sight, out of mind till you brought it up.” Smolder said, pointing an accusatory finger at the griffon.
“Okay, point taken.” Gallus said. “I probably could have been more tactful. Forgive me?”
“Hmm. On one condition.” Smolder said, suddenly thrusting Brim in Gallus’ face. “You hold him for me for a bit. Give me a little break while I catch up with the gang.”
“Ah, you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, I’m not really-” Gallus tried to argue before Smolder cut him off.
“C’mon, G. You’ve held babies before. Not like I’m asking you to be the kid’s daddy, just hold him for a bit.”
“Boy, that’s a mental image.” Gallus said before finally taking Brim and tucking him under his arm. “He’s not gonna bite me, is he?”
“Eh, probably.” Smolder shrugged. “Don’t worry, his teeth are still pretty dull. It takes a few years for a dragon’s teeth to really sharpen.”
“Wonderful.” Gallus said, and already he could feel Brim starting to gnaw on the tip of his talons. “Shall we get going then? I’m sure the girls are all going to immediately start fawning over the kid.”
“Yeah, poor kid.” Smolder smiled, walking with Gallus towards the library. “Most dragon babies don’t really grow up with the whole ‘touchy-feely’ family stuff. But there’s no way my kid is gonna be an ordinary dragon, is there?”
“No.” Gallus said immediately. “No way in Tartarus.”
“Thought so.” Smolder said. “And that’s good. I don’t want him to be. I want him to grow up knowing how many people love him, dragon or otherwise. Geez, I’ve gotten soft, haven’t I?”
“We all have.” Gallus said. “You’ll remember that while you’re responsible for one child, I’m responsible for a whole classroom full of kids.”
“Hey, yeah! We spent so long on my little mommy pity-party, I totally spaced asking you how you’ve been.” Smolder said, giving Gallus a slap on the back. “Did you ever get that… what do you call it? Tetanus?”
“You mean ‘Tenure’?”
“Yeah, whatchamacallit.”
Gallus gave a bit of a bitter laugh. “Grover, I wish. That’s a little bit beyond my current pay grade. Gilda’s little ‘restoration projects’ have helped Griffonstone a lot, but we’re still pretty much slumming it right now. I should consider myself lucky there’s even a school for me to teach in.”
“I never understood why you don’t just move back into Ponyville. You’ve always hated Griffonstone, and you know the Headmaster would give you a job here in a heartbeat.” Smolder offered.
“Yeah, I know. It’s just…” Gallus tried to find the words. “When I first got my teaching degree, do you want to know what Headmaster Twilight said to me?”
“Shoot.”
“She said ‘Go where you are needed the most. Go where you can touch the most minds and make the biggest difference.’” Gallus readjusted his hold on Brim, who was constantly trying to squirm his way towards every little distraction. “Griffonstone is a sty… but it’s home. And it is getting better. Griffons are finally starting to understand that we can’t just wallow in our own misery anymore. And nogriffs understand that more than the next generation like my students.”
Gallus shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I just want to be a part of that… However small a part that may be.”
Smolder gave Gallus a warm smile. “You’re a good man, Gallus. Better than what Griffonstone deserves, that’s for sure.”
“What about you?” Gallus said, eager to change the topic. “What have you been getting up to?”
“You mean asides from getting knocked up?” Smolder said. “Eh, same ol’ same ol’. Been kicking around the Dragon Lands, building my horde, doing whatever. You know how it is.”
Gallus smirked. ‘The more things change, indeed.’ he thought.
“‘Burned into our memories’? I’m pretty sure that’s what you said, right?” Smolder said, passing a not-too-subtle look towards Gallus.
Gallus rubbed the back of his neck as he took another look at the school’s directory. “Hey, you’re just as lost as I am, so I don’t want to hear any lip.”
Gallus bit his beak a bit when he felt Brim starting to get restless in his arms. He looked down to see the yellow babe was clearly put off with Gallus’ tone.
“Oh, nono little guy! I’m not mad at your mom, I swear.” Gallus said to Brim, wiggling his talons in his face to entertain him.
“Hmm, ten minutes carrying him and he’s already got you wrapped around his claw.” Smolder said, smiling.
“Hey, took Sorrel and Nettle half that time.” Gallus said, giving Brim a grin as the baby dragon grasped at Gallus’ teasing talons. “What can I say? Kids love me.”
Smolder said nothing, just gave a giggle of her own as Brim tried his hardest to maul Gallus’ talons, leaving dribble all over them.
“Gah… This stuff come off with soap?” Gallus winced.
Smolder rolled her eyes. “Geez, you’re a bigger baby than the baby. A little drool never killed nobody.”
“Smolder? Gallus?” A new voice spoke behind them.
The two looked behind them to see quite the familiar face: Their old school counselor, Starlight Glimmer. Of course, she traded up from her desk in the counselor’s office for the Headmare’s desk some time ago, but she never really got out of the habit of helping students deal with their personal problems.
Of course, Gallus knew her by another title.
“Oh, hey Mom.”
---
It was Summer, and all of Gallus’ friends were getting ready to go home for vacation. Gallus sighed as he stared up at the ceiling of his dorm room. That should be including him, too. He was supposed to be gathering his things, what little knick-knacks and personal effects he had managed to scrounge up or were gifted to him by his friends, and packing up for his trip back to Griffonstone.
Griffonstone… That was home for Gallus.
And he wished every single day it wasn’t.
Legally, he was still homeless. Griffonstone’s infrastructure was so dilapidated and slipshod from generations of apathy and greed that the very concept of civil aid, much less child protection laws, may as well have been as foreign to the griffons as a cutie mark.
The best Grandpa Gruff did for him, being the closest thing Griffonstone recognized as an authority on the matter, was set him up in an abandoned house off to the far edge of the city-state, checking in once in a while to make sure he hadn’t starved to death and occasionally bringing him food and fresh toiletries. It was as generous as griffon’s usually came.
At least he didn’t sleep in the rain, and the house was only slightly worse living quarters than what most griffons lived in.
That was the best life Gallus could hope for in Griffonstone. He’ll say this about Grandpa Gruff, when Princess Twilight was looking for representatives from the other races to enroll in her school, Gruff immediately chose Gallus as the one most deserving and most needing.
He cared, in his own way. He cared enough to send Gallus where he would have a better chance at a happy life. But that was where it ended. He didn’t care enough to take Gallus in under his own wing, despite being, for all intents and purposes, his legal guardian.
Things were getting slightly better, Gallus admitted to himself. Gilda and her friend Greta often came by and offered fresh scones from their cart. For free, no less! They definitely garnered some stares over that. Just because Gallus was a homeless orphan doesn’t he can’t pay for his own share.
And Gabby was as un-griffon as griffons come. She was probably the closest thing Gallus had to a friend in Griffonstone, and she always made sure to bring Gallus something from her regular mail rounds to Ponyville. But those mail rounds were a double edged sword as they ensured she was gone just as often as she was there. Still, Gallus did appreciate her carrying correspondence between him and Sandbar so they could keep in touch.
But all of these were small comforts in a city in massive strife. While in Griffonstone, Gallus could do little more than count the days till he could come back to the school. Back to his true home.
His friends certainly tried to help him when they learned the gravity of his situation, all of them offering their homes to the young griff and promising him sanctuary. Of course, they couldn’t just DO that. There were legal concerns to consider, official citizenship status that couldn’t be ignored. It was one thing to travel abroad to study in a prestigious school, it was another thing to be ‘held captive’ by the inhabitants of another nation. He was still a minor, after all. He legally could not make those decisions for himself.
Giving another hefty sigh, Gallus figured he had put off the inevitable long enough. He got up from his bed and began packing.
He was just starting to make decent headway when he heard a knock on his door. Probably one of his friends offering condolences and promises to see each other when their vacation was over.
Opening the door, mentally and emotionally preparing himself for the onslaught of hugs and tears, he was surprised to find the school’s former counselor standing outside.
“Hello, Gallus.” Headmare Starlight said, looking quite pleased with herself. As though she were privy to a joke that she was waiting to tell Gallus.
“Oh, er, hello Headmare. What can I do for you?” Gallus asked. Starlight rarely brought herself to her students, preferring to let them come to her with their concerns.
“I understand that, right about now, you’d probably be preparing to head back to Griffonstone now?” Starlight said.
Gallus rolled his eyes. “Yep. Caaaan’t wait.”
“Before you get too involved with your packing, might I see you in my office? I would actually like to discuss something with you regarding your situation in Griffonstone.” Starlight asked, moving aside so as to let Gallus pass.
“My situation? Er, sure.” Gallus said, walking side-by-side with Starlight towards the Headmare’s office. “Why didn’t you just call me over the P.A.?”
Starlight’s smile widened. “Because this isn’t technically a school matter. It’s… more of a personal concern.”
“Okay…” Gallus said, more confused than ever.
When they reached the office, Gallus saw that the two of them would not be the only ones present during the meeting. Trixie Lulamoon, the School of Friendship’s new counselor, was already sitting by Starlight’s chair, clearly waiting for them to arrive and wearing the same smile as Starlight.
“Please take a seat, Gallus.” Starlight said, taking her own seat at the head of the desk. “There’s something we would like to discuss with you.”
“Okay…” Gallus repeated, unsure of what else to say. Taking a seat as requested, he saw Starlight pull a folder of papers from her desk.
“Now then, let’s get right to it, shall we?” Starlight said, placing the folder in front of her. “It’s no secret that, ever since we've learned the full extent of your… living conditions in Griffonstone, the entire faculty of this school have been working non-stop to see if their were any legal avenues to improve your station.”
“You mean, no longer homeless. Right?” Gallus said, bluntly.
“At the very least.” Starlight said. “Well… what if I told you that Trixie and I may have found an avenue for you. Right here, right now. You wouldn’t ever have to go back to Griffonstone. You could live here, in Ponyville, as a full citizen today.”
“Today?” Gallus parroted. “That’s… How?”
“Trixie, do you want to take this?” Starlight offered. Trixie gladly took the invitation, making a show of clearing her throat.
“It was about half a year ago, now, when the thought was first planted in Trixie’s mind. During The Great and Powerful Trixie’s… less than stellar venture into becoming Vice-Headmare of the School.” Trixie said, giving a grandiose wave of her hoof.
“Oh yeah, I remember that. Best nap I’ve ever had in your class.”
“Quite.” Trixie grumbled, Starlight giggling a bit at the wind being taken out of her sails. “Point is, do you recall Trixie’s rather ill-fated conference with your legal guardian, Grandpa Gruff?”
“How could I forget.” Gallus said, fighting back a laugh remembering the flabbergasted look on Gruff’s face. “You railed into him so hard, I thought he was gonna blow a gasket.”
Gallus rubbed the back of his neck. “Um… Thanks for that, by the way. It was nice to see somecreature put that old buzzard in his place.”
“Oh, think nothing of it!” Trixie said. “Trixie quite enjoyed shouting at him. But this brings us back to Trixie’s original point. An idea had struck in her head, a bolt of inspiration that Trixie would not recognize it for what it was until now.”
Trixie got up from her chair to walk around to the front of the desk, sitting off the corner directly in front of Gallus. “The truth is… something sparked inside of Trixie that day. Defending you, protecting you from some… feather-brained fool who had no business being your caretaker. It made Trixie realize… that there was more she could offer you. There was more she could do to protect you.”
“I… I don’t…” Gallus tried to say.
“So! Trixie conferred with her lovely partner in all things…” Trixie said, gesturing to Starlight. “And an accord was reached. All we need now… is your approval.”
With that, Starlight gently nudged the folder to Gallus, gesturing Gallus to open it.
Gallus hesitated, having a sinking suspicion what was inside. He shook those thoughts out of his head. No, he thought. They wouldn’t go to those kinds of lengths. Not for him. He looked up and saw the two mares were patiently waiting for him, waiting for him to cross that threshold.
Without realizing it, Gallus held his breath as he opened the folder.
A breath he released in a sharp gasp as he saw the contents inside.
An adoption form, with quite literally his name on it. Not just his name, but Starlight and Trixie’s names as well, marking them as his prospective guardians. It even had Grandpa Gruff’s scratchy signature declaring his consent to transfer rights of guardianship to the two mares.
Gallus looked up, unable to stop the tears from forming in the corners of his eyes. “I… I can’t… why would you…?”
Starlight leaned forward, placing a gentle hoof on the paper. “If you sign this, you will officially be recognized as a dependent minor in mine and Trixie’s care. Thus, you will officially become an Equestrian citizen and can immediately move in with me and Trixie. We’ve already done all the political heavy-lifting with the Princesses and Grandpa Gruff has already given his full consent. We can have everything finalized and in the system by tonight.”
Gallus shook his head, still unable to accept this as anything other than a cruel joke. “I’m… I’m only sixteen. I’ll only be a minor for two more years.”
Starlight shook her head. “I don’t see how that affects anything. Even after you become a legal adult, you will still need time to find your path in life, especially if you choose to pursue higher education once you graduate. Eighteen or not, you will still be a young man in need of a support structure. Trixie and I can provide that for you.”
“We’re certainly not gonna throw you to the curb the second you turn eighteen.” Trixie added. “Besides, do you really want to live in Griffonstone for the next two years?”
“But… Why?” Gallus said, finally getting to the root of things. “Why would you do this for me? Why would you stick your necks out like this. I’m…”
Gallus looked down towards the floor, unable to meet their eyes. “I’m not worth this…”
Everyone was silent for a second, before Trixie broke through. “I thought the same thing about myself once.”
Gallus looked up slightly, but still did not look at her.
“Trixie… I have done a lot of things I’m not proud of. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and made a lot of ponies hate me.” Trixie started. “For a while, I believed I was beyond saving. Beyond redemption. I was content to merely wallow in my failure and embrace my fate.”
Trixie smiled as she grasped Starlight’s hoof in her own, not even needing to look back at her to know her hoof was waiting. “But then I met this arrogant know-it-all who did something for me that nopony had in a long time. She gave me a chance. A chance to be a friend, a chance to be a confidant, a chance to be… well, much more than that. She gave me the chance to be a better me. A happier me.”
“And… that’s what we want to offer you Gallus. But… only if you want it.” Trixie said, patting the adoption form next to her.
“If it helps…” Starlight began, still sensing trepidation from the young griff. “You don’t have to think about it as getting adopted. You don’t have to see us as your… Ahem. You can make this as informal and professional as you want it Gallus. If you just want to see it as us letting you stay in our house, we’ll follow your lead. This, after all, is for you, and the last thing we want to do is make you uncomfortable in what should be your home.”
Gallus took a good, hard stare at the foreboding document. How could a little piece of paper hold so much of his future inside of it. “If I sign this… what happens next?”
Starlight gave a warm smile. “You come home.”
Gallus sat there thinking for what felt like hours. He wiped away his tears and grabbed a quill from a cup of quills on Starlight’s desk, and wrote his name where the document asked for his signature.
“Thank you…” Was all he said.
Starlight and Trixie both leapt from their respective seats, practically smothering Gallus as they wrapped their forelegs around him.
Gallus said nothing, merely wrapped his own arms around the two mares.
---
Headmare Starlight certainly looked pleased to see them, all things considered. “Oh my Celestia, I will never get over how much bigger you guys get every year.”
Smolder chuckled. “You’re telling me. Give it a few hundred years, and we’re gonna need to move the festivities up the mountain, just so I can fit through the door.”
The three shared a laugh at the joke before Starlight’s attention suddenly fell on the wide-eyed youth currently nestling in Gallus’ arms.
“Oh! Well hello there, little one! Smolder, is this one yours?” Starlight asked. She took a step forward and lit up her horn, causing tiny sparks and lights to dance out. Brim’s eyes lit up at the display as he reached out from Gallus’ grip to claw at the lights.
“Yep. Grew him myself.” Smolder said. “His name’s Brim. We were actually just on our way to introduce him to the gang when someone…” Smolder said, giving a not-too-subtle nudge of the head towards Gallus. “Got us up and lost.”
“Hey, It’s not my fault this place is a maze. I could barely find my way around when I actually lived here.” Gallus said, trying to defend himself.
Starlight giggled a little at their antics. “Where are you guys heading? I don’t mind playing escort for a bit before I have to get back to the organizing.”
“Thanks Mom.” Gallus said. “We were trying to find the library. You would think after all the time we spent there…” Starlight grimaced. “Yeah, the library is in the same place it always was, but we’ve had to… renovate some of the hallways due to an… incident earlier this year.”
“Incident?” Both Gallus and Smolder parroted.
“Let’s just say Pinkie Pie is no longer allowed to sub for Chemistry and leave it at that.” Starlight said, and Gallus could swear she looked five years older from saying that one sentence alone.
“Say no more. So, about that escort?” Gallus said.
“Right, right. Just follow me and I’ll get you there.”
---
“Oh Smolder, that’s terrible!” Starlight said, giving her former student a look of sympathy.
“Eh, It’s honestly not that bad.” Smolder said, shrugging. “Like Gallus said, it’s probably better that he’s NOT here influencing Brim. Plus, it’s not like this is something unheard of. Lot’s of dragons end up getting raised by only one parent.”
“Still though, no one should have to go through something like that.” Starlight said, shaking her head. “I just want you to know that if you and Brim ever need any help-”
“Gonna stop you right there, teach.” Smolder said, raising a claw. “I didn’t tell you all of that for a sob-story. Brim and I… we can’t just get by on charity. I appreciate the gesture, but I’m not looking for any handouts.”
Starlight held out a hoof, stopping the dragoness in her tracks. “It’s not charity, Smolder. It’s one friend offering to help another friend. I would like to think your time at this school has taught you a little something about, oh say, Generosity?”
Smolder rubbed her arm and looked askance as Starlight continued. “And I’m sure every single one of your friends would make the same offer.” Starlight looked over to Gallus expectantly. “Right?”
Gallus nodded. “Doesn’t even need to be said.” Gallus gave an affectionate rub to the top of Brim’s head. “She knows any one of us would jump at the chance to help her, whether she needs it or not.”
Smolder sighed. “I know. And I… I love you all for it. This is just… more of a pride thing than anything else. I want to go at this for my own sake, and for Brim. I want him to know how tough his momma is.”
Gallus shot her a confused look. “How tough you are? Smolder, all Brim has to do is look at you any day of the week to see how tough you are. And if he ever forgets that, you send him to me and I’ll set the record straight.”
Starlight nodded. “Gallus is right. Relying on others isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength. I can understand wanting to go at things yourself to prove that you can. Just promise me that if you ever do need help, you won’t turn it away.”
Smolder looked as though she was going to continue arguing against them when Starlight held up a hoof. “If not for us, and if not for you: Then do it for Brim.”
That caused any more words to die in Smolder’s mouth. She merely sighed and nodded her head. “Okay. You’re right, and I know you’re right. It’s just… hard.”
Starlight smiled. “No one ever said being a mother is easy. But I’m pleased to say it looks like you’re doing a fantastic job so far.”
Smolder smiled as the scales on her cheeks turned red. “Thanks, teach.”
Gallus sniffed. “Still though, if I ever do run into Brim’s dad, I’m gonna give that deadbeat a piece of my mind.”
Smolder chuckled at the griffon’s bravado. “Are you kidding me? Gallus, he’s a dragon! He would literally, and I do mean literally eat you alive.”
Gallus’ pride deflated a little. “Yeah, well… I’d give him horrible indigestion.”
Smolder rolled her eyes as she scooped Gallus’ head into her chest, giving him a crushing hug. “Oh, my hero…” Smolder said, dripping with sarcasm.
“Gah! Careful! Do you want me to drop the kid?” Gallus admonished.
Starlight giggled at the display before turning to the two, standing in front of a familiar oak door. “Well, here we are. Sorry to cut and run so soon but I need to get back to getting everything ready for tonight.”
Smolder nodded. “Of course, don’t let us keep you. Thanks again for the help.”
“Don’t mention it!” Starlight smiled, before turning her attention to Brim, still lying comfortably in Gallus’ arm. “And goodbye to you too, Brim! I’m sure I’ll see you around!” Starlight said in a high, happy voice, lightly booping Brim on the snout.
Smolder smiled at the display before opening and leaving through the oak doors into the library. Gallus was about to follow her inside when Starlight held a hoof out in front of him.
“Oh, Gallus. Might I have a word real quick?” Starlight asked.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“I just... wanted to let you know how proud I am of you. With everything Smolder is going through, it takes real bravery on your part to step up like this.” Starlight said, eyes brimming with admiration for her son.
“Uh… Okay?” Gallus said, confused. Like they both said, all of Smolder’s friends would have ‘stepped up’ as she said, so he didn’t really understand what prompted this praise.
“And I can already tell how much Brim has taken a liking to you.” Starlight said. “I’m sure Smolder’s very happy about that.”
“I guess?” Gallus said. “She did joke about how quickly he’s got me wrapped around his claws.”
“Oh, I can imagine. Still I never thought, out of everyone in your little gang, that it would be you and Smolder. You two make a lovely couple.”
With that, Starlight turned on her hind-hoof and trotted away, leaving Gallus dumbfounded at her statement. It took a few seconds before it finally registered to Gallus what exactly his mother just said to him, and when his brain finally caught up to his mouth, he yelled out.
“What!? Nonono!! It’s not like that at all!!”
But Starlight was already gone and out of ear shot.
Grumbling to himself, knowing this was gonna spread like wildfire throughout the school grounds, Gallus looked down at the baby dragon in his arms, who looked up at him with a calm smile and a happy trill.
Despite himself, Gallus couldn’t keep his own smile off his beak as he gave another rub to Brim’s head. “Come on, little guy. Time to meet the family.”
---
Starlight was about halfway back to the main hall when she stopped in her tracks, her conversation with Smolder still playing in her mind.
Deciding she had a few minutes to spare, Starlight reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a small, circular mirror. With just a slight charge of magic from her horn, the enchantment within the mirror sparked to life as her reflection was replaced by the image of a young, dark blue filly with a short, messy purple mane. Starlight smiled as the filly took notice of her own mirror activating back at their house, a wide grin stretching across her face as she saw Starlight.
“Hi Mom! What’s up?” The filly asked.
“Oh, nothing Mirage. Just felt like calling. Guess who I just bumped into…”
Luster Dawn was not, nor ever was, a student at the School of Friendship. But many of her friends from Ponyville were. As such, whenever the School had it’s annual reunion, she could be sure she would end up being at least one of her friend’s Plus One.
This year, it was her Kirin friend, Maple Cinder, who asked her first. While Luster spent the majority of the event with her whole circle of friends, she did make a point to stick with the one who invited her, if only out of courtesy.
“So many great years spent here.” Maple said, walking down the hallways with Luster at her side. The actual ‘party’ part of the reunion would not be until later that evening, so many of the former alumni were encouraged to explore their old haunt, reminiscing and reuniting with their former classmates. “So many wonderful memories. My only regret is that you didn’t come down to Ponyville sooner so we could share some of those memories.”
Luster blushed. “Oh, I doubt you would have liked me all that much back when I was in school. I… wasn’t exactly the most sociable pony.”
Maple wrapped a foreleg around Luster. “All the more reason I wish I had gotten to know you sooner. I can’t imagine one of my best friends being as lonely as you were.”
Luster shook her head. “No, it wasn’t exactly ‘loneliness’. It was… this is hard to explain. I guess it was… misanthropy?”
“Misanthropy?” Maple parroted, clearly not understanding.
“What I mean is… I kind of knew I was becoming a shut-in. I knew I was becoming isolated from everypony else. But… I just couldn’t find a reason to care. I didn’t fully understand what I could practically gain from having other people in my life.”
Luster looked to the ground, embarrassed. “I actually had to have the Princess of Friendship herself take time out of her day to set me aside and straight up tell me that, yes, there are benefits to having friends.”
Luster groaned as she looked up sheepishly at Maple. “It… sounds kind of silly when I say it out loud, huh?”
Maple kept her warm smile for her friend, shaking her head softly. “Never apologize for how you feel. It’s honestly not that different from how my village used to be back when I was just a little kindling. At least you never tried to magically induce an emotionless silence on yourself.”
Maple gave a soft laugh, but Luster’s eyes screwed in thought. “Maple… You ever stop to think what a weird world we live in?”
“Weird, but wonderful.” Maple said, hugging Luster tighter. “I’d much rather be with you in a weird world than without you in a boring one.”
Luster hugged her friend back. “I’m with you on that one, at least.”
Their embrace was cut short when a shrill, high-pitched noise, loud enough to sting the inside of their ears, reverberated across the halls of the School.
The two friends quickly pulled away from each other to cover their ears in vain, wincing in pain at the piercing screech.
Just as quickly as it came, the noise subsided as the two slowly uncovered their ears, looking at each other in shock.
“What in Tartarus was that!?” Luster demanded. --- Within the white and purple spires of the city of Canterlot, high above Ponyville and nestled comfortably within the side of a mountain, a blue unicorn with a silver mane tied back into a tight ponytail, a few errant strands framing the side of her face, was going down the list of all the necessary arrangements that still needed to be made before the show was ready to go on the day after tomorrow.
Trixie huffed to herself as it started to dawn on her just how much work still needed to be done. At this rate, she wouldn’t be on the train back to Ponyville until much later that night.
Made all the worse as Trixie reminded herself yet again that Gallus was coming home today. She wanted so desperately to see him when he arrived, having not seen her son in person since the last Hearth’s Warming. Had she’d known how much time this was going to take, she never would have agreed to come up to Canterlot to help lighten the load. At this rate, Gallus might already be asleep in his old room before Trixie could get home, and that’s assuming she didn’t crash from exhaustion herself as soon as she stepped through the door. What kind of mother was she that she couldn’t be there to actually see her son until the day after he actually arrived.
Trixie took a deep sigh to calm herself. She knew when she was working herself up, especially when she didn’t have her Emotional Support Starlight to calm her. Part of her wanted to blame Coco Pommel for requesting her ‘expertise’ in special effects for the play, but Trixie knew that was just being catty on her part. She knew full-well how swamped the seamstress was pulling double duty organizing the Midsummer Theatre Troupe. All without pay, either. Coco had that special talent for pulling others into charity work without making it feel like she was guilt-tripping them.
It’s not like she twisted Trixie’s foreleg to come down. Truth be told, with the School shut down for the holidays and both Starlight and Sunburst having pretty much the organization of the Reunion on lock, Trixie really just needed something to occupy her time.
She just wished it didn’t end up occupying so much of her time.
Oh well, Trixie thought. Those lights weren’t going to calibrate themselves. If Trixie actually just buckled down and did the work rather than ho-humming the whole time, she might be able to get wrench a favor out of Twilight and have the Princess teleport her back to Ponyville to save some time on the commute.
Trixie was just about to head back to the stage the Midsummer troupe had set up in the Public Park when a high-pitched noise stopped her in her tracks.
Whatever the noise was, it was definitely coming from somewhere far away as Trixie couldn’t place the direction of the screeching cacophony. Indeed, many of the other passing ponies on the streets also looked up from their own reveries, trying to place where the ungodly noise was coming from. --- Far, far away from the constant trials and tribulations of Equestria, sitting silently amongst the shimmering blue waters of the ocean, lay a small, tropical island paradise hitherto unknown from nearly all voyagers and explorers.
Indeed, this island was in fact enchanted to keep it hidden from prying eyes to maintain its status as a bastion of solitude and peace for the only two ponies to call the island their home.
Celestia and Luna, the now long retired former monarchs of Equestria, were currently sunbathing on the beach of their private island, adorned in tropical-print shirts and sipping Mai Tais from hollowed out coconuts.
“You hear sumthn’? Celestia asked. “Nope.” Luna replied. --- “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! HE’S SO CUUUTE!!!” Silverstream exclaimed.
Her five friends, all gathered close to her in the library, all groaned in pain as they did everything in their power to block out the explosion of noise that came from the hippogriff upon seeing the baby dragon currently cradled in Gallus’ arm. Gallus in particular felt the full force of the sonic blast as one of his arms was trying very hard not to drop Brim out of neural shock.
“GAH!! Geez, Silver!! Turn it down a couple of Hertzes!!” Gallus admonished, trying to calm the now thoroughly frightened babe in his arm.
“Honey, is safe to open ears?” Yona asked Sandbar, smushing her face between two large almanacs.
“WHAT!?” Sandbar asked, having sacrificed his own hearing to cover Sorrel and Nettle’s young, impressionable ears.
Smolder dug a claw into her earhole, trying to work some feeling back into them. “Yeah, that’s about how I thought that was gonna go.” When she finally received a satisfying Pop! In her ear for her efforts, she tapped on an inconspicuous, periwinkle rock sitting on top of the group’s usual table. “It’s okay, Ocellus. You can come out now.” Smolder said.
The baby-blue rock blinked two iridescent blue eyes before being engulfed in a flash of magical green flames. When the flames subsided, the group’s resident changeling, Ocellus, wobbly sat on top of the table.
“I kind of feel bad that the rest of you can’t just shapeshift your ears away.” Ocellus said, grimacing at the fact that the rest of her friends were still recovering.
“WHAT!?” Sandbar said.
Silverstream blushed as she tried to force her smile down into an ashamed frown, but the corners of her beak kept twitching back up with every attempt. “I’m so, sooo sorry guys! But… Look at him!”
Silverstream gestured to the baby dragon in question. “He looks like an adorable plushie come to life!! Oh, come to Auntie Silver you little cutie!!” She called out, reaching her arms out to grasp Brim away from Gallus.
Brim’s eyes widened as the screeching creature came closer to him, causing him to bury himself deeper into the crook of Gallus’ arm, hiding his face from ‘Auntie Silver’.
Gallus took the que and pulled Brim back away from Silverstream’s grasping claws. “Silver, would you calm down!? You’re scaring the poor kid!” Gallus snapped, before yelling a rather savage growl at Silverstream, clutching Brim close to him.
The simple fact that one of her friends just growled at her managed to snap Silverstream out of her cuteness-induced stupor, causing her to double-take on just how startled the little drake actually was.
“Ohhhh… Oh my gosh, I am so, sooo sorry sweetie!! Auntie Silver didn’t mean to scare you, honestly!” Taking another approach, Silverstream knelt down to eye-level with Brim, calmly holding out her talons within reach next to Brim.
Seeing that Silverstream was actually making an attempt at being calm this time, Gallus reluctantly lowered Brim down so he could actually see the waiting talons.
While Brim recoiled slightly seeing that Silverstream was still rather close to him, he did slowly reach out and grasped at one of Silverstream’s talons, exploring this new person with his tiny, baby claws.
“See, little guy? I’m not scary, just a little… loud.” Silverstream said in a soft, cooing voice
“That’s putting it mildly.” Smolder said, chuckling. As annoyed as she was at Silverstream for freaking out her kid like that, she was happy she managed to salvage her first-impression well enough. Besides, if Brim really was going to grow up knowing all of his ‘aunts’ and ‘uncles’, chances are he’ll just have to get used to Silverstream’s excitable nature.
Gallus, however, was a bit more miffed, maintaining a firm grasp on Brim even as Silverstream continued to make gentle baby-talk with him, clearly winning the babe over if his happy garbling was any indication.
Smolder saw how tense Gallus still was and walked over to him, placing a gentle claw on his shoulder. A silent ‘thank-you’ for looking out for her son.
Gallus’ arms finally relaxed from Smolder’s touch as the rest of the gang said their own ‘hello’s to the newest member of their hodgepodge family. --- A few moments passed and the group was starting to settle down into their usual ‘Reunion’ routine of catching up.
“...So during our trip up to Yakyakistan for Snildar Fest, Yona’s mom took me up to one of the family’s favorite ice-fishing spot.” Sandbar said, leaning against his wife on the floor with both of their children nestled within their forelegs.
The rest of their group was arranged in a casual circle on the floor as well, Brim currently crawling around on all floors in the circle to and from each of his new aunts and uncles, greeting and studying each of them at his own leisure, with everyone making sure he didn’t stray too far from the group. Brim was currently cuddling between Ocellus’ forelegs during Sandbar’s story.
“I didn’t realize until later that her dad put her up to it to, apparently, challenge me. See how well I could provide for my family.” Sandbar said.
“And husband did very good showing up Yona’s father.” Yona said, nuzzling a blushing Sandbar. “Father went to family’s real ice-fishing spot and caught big trout for dinner.”
“So what did you catch?” Gallus asked, making sure to keep Brim to at least the edge of his vision.
“Nothing! I recognized from the layout of the rivers feeding into the lake that the spot was smack-dab in the middle of the ice-bed salmon’s migratory routes. They’re called that because, unlike how most fish will sit on the bottom of a lake bed when it freezes over, ice-bed salmon will actually stay near the surface and purposefully get themselves caught in the ice.”
“Why on earth would they do that?” Smolder asked, cocking her head in confusion.
“Ice-bed salmon have this crazy-weird metabolism. The cold from the ice actually puts them in a soporific state that induces a bizarre infusion of chemicals in their cellular make-up that essentially supercharges their natural redundancy and-”
“Sandy! We’re not all marine biologists, buddy.” Gallus remarked, smirking.
“Oh, right.” Sandbar said, blushing. “Uh… Basically, hibernating in ice makes them live longer. Well, I realized that and I told Yona and her mother to help me carve out a block of ice near the mouth of the lake and, lo and behold, the block was filled with salmon!”
Yona giggled at the memory. “Sorrel and Nettle actually rode block of ice back down to village, bowling over Father. Yona will never forget the look on Father’s face when he saw all the fish in the ice. He thought Sandbar was pony-wizard who conjured fish from nothing!”
The group shared a laugh at the story, happy to just be near each other again to share such stories after nearly a year apart from each-other. Brim even gave a trilling laugh as well, though clearly he was just happy to be involved.
“Okay, okay, I got that beat actually!” Silverstream said, holding up a talon. “So, I was visiting Terramar and his husband back at Mount Aris when-”
Silverstream’s story was cut short when a chiming ring came from one of the many bags laid haphazardly on the library table next to them.
“Oh… Sorry guys, that one’s mine.” Silverstream said, getting up off the floor as she rummaged through her bag.
“Silver, you promised!” Ocellus admonished.
“Yeah, Silv! No work during Reunion Week! You know the rules.” Gallus said with a smirk.
“I know guys, I know. Trust me when I say I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t important.” Silverstream said, finally pulling her personal, compact scrying mirror out of her bag. She lifted a talon up to her beak asking for silence while she opened the mirror up to her ear.
“Go for Silverstream… Uh huh… Uh huh…”
Gallus will say this much: It took a lot to suck the joy out of Silverstream’s face. Whatever was going on at her business was clearly a big deal to make even Silverstream completely dour-faced.
Gallus thought back to the humble beginnings of Silver Steel Plumbing. Evidently, Silverstream’s fascination with pipes and plumbing didn’t stop after graduation. Having put so much of her extra-curricular time into studying the subject, it made perfect sense to her to make a career out of it.
After all, it’s not like she needed the money, having come from royalty. She definitely had the financial security to make an occupation out of a passion project. Though what kind of warped brain you had to have to be passionate about clogged toilets, Gallus didn’t even want to think about.
Still, she took to the job with gusto. Starting off with just herself, a toolbox and pair of custom-made overalls. With her family’s backing, however, it didn’t take long for Silverstream to get her own start-up company going. It took more than a few years, but the transition from plumber to CEO of a plumbing manufacturing firm was a steady but natural one for Silverstream.
Who knew that courtroom political training transitioned so easily to business management?
“I see… Look, just… Tell him we’re sorry, but…” Silverstream gulped. “But it was his fault to begin with. Tell him we hope he finds work elsewhere but we can’t keep employing him with his history with us.”
That took the group by surprise. Silverstream was laying someone off? Usually, Silver was pretty fair with her company’s employees. Even when they screwed up, she usually took it upon herself to fix the problem and help her employees learn not to make the same mistake again.
What kind of colossal mess did this employee make that Silver had to personally oversee his departure?
“Okay… Yeah, thank you for taking care of this, I appreciate it.” Silverstream finally said before closing the compact mirror. Sighing, she looked back over to her friends who were clearly waiting for an explanation. “Sorry, that was my assistant. One of the floor managers of my factory up in Manehattan just got fired. We’re… trying to make the transition as easy as possible for everyone involved.”
“So, what did he do?” Gallus said, asking the question on everyone’s mind.
Silverstream sighed again, leaning against the table. “We found out he had been abusing his authority over the factory workers under him. Long hours without overtime, safety negligence, just generally being a jerk to the workers. We only just found out recently when one of the workers called our office to make a formal complaint. The manager was actually falsifying reports to keep us from knowing about it.”
“You’re kidding! That’s corporate fraud, he would go to jail for something like that.” Ocellus said.
“Only if we or one of the factory workers sued him over it, but I arranged for the workers to get generous reparations if they didn’t press charges and just let the guy leave quietly.” Silverstream explained.
“Why in Tartarus would you protect that lowlife?” Smolder said, getting a little upset over how cavalier Silverstream was being. “If the guy broke the law, shouldn’t he be rotting in a cell right now?”
Silverstream pinched the bridge above her beak. “It isn’t that simple. The guy has a family he needs to take care of. I looked them up and he’s their only source of income. I can’t punish them because of something this one jerk did! So I’m… just sort of hoping he’ll learn his lesson and find someplace else to work.”
“And if he doesn’t?” Sandbar asked.
“Then his next boss will fire him and maybe then he’ll go to prison. Point is, I didn’t feel right not giving the guy a second chance.” Silverstream huffed. “Even if he really, really didn’t deserve it.”
“Look, the last thing I want to do is bring everyone else down.” Silverstream said, forcing a smile. “This is Reunion Week! We’re supposed to be forgetting about all this stuff! I’m sorry I answered that call, I shouldn’t have. But trust me when I say that is the last call I’ll be taking all week!”
Before anyone could say anything in response, Silverstream slid back into a sitting position in the circle, carrying on as though the call never happened. “So, like I was saying, I met up with Terramar at the skydock, and I see he has a pie with him. At first, I thought the pie was a gift for his favorite big sister, but it was a lot more sinister than that…” --- The group carried on discussing this and that, telling stories and reminiscing about the good ol’ days, when it came time to get ready for the real event of the night. The Reunion Party.
The hallways of the school were awash with chatter as alumni and faculty started to migrate to the auditorium where the festivities would be taking place. Gallus and his friends were just now emerging from the library to join the crowd.
“Hey Smolder, why don’t you hand Brim to me and Yona and I can take him to the play-room with the kids.” Sandbar said. With more and more former students growing up and settling down, it became common practice by the school to set up a room for their children to be entertained and watched over while their parents enjoyed their own celebrations. Games and toys and kind-hearted faculty members were all waiting to make sure the young had just as much to entertain them as their elders.
“You sure they’re prepared to handle a baby dragon?” Smolder asked, having finally taken Brim back from Gallus. “I don’t want to put Brim there if they don’t know how to take care of him.”
“You’re not the only dragon who went to this school, y’know?” Sandbar said. “They’ve taken care of baby dragons before.”
Smolder was clearly still reluctant, but Gallus placed a comforting claw on her arm. “Hey, it’s only for a few hours. If it helps, I’ll even go with you anytime you want to check up on him. That way, you’ll always be hanging out with at least one of us.”
Smolder smiled at the offer. “Oh… Alright. But only because I don’t want the kid cramping my style.”
With that, Smolder held Brim up to eye-level with her. “You be good for Uncle Sandy and Auntie Yona, y’hear me kid? And don’t burn the school down.”
Smolder gave her baby a nuzzle with her snout, making Brim give a happy squeal at his mother. She finally, reluctantly, passed off Brim to Sandbar, who Brim already felt easy around enough to grip on tight around his neck.
“Don’t worry, he’s safe with us.” Sandbar said.
Smolder nodded. “I know. Just… make sure to tell Sorrel and Nettle to stay close to him.”
“We will.” Sandbar said, turning with his family towards the play-room.
“And… And make sure to tell the caretaker’s he only eats powdered gemstones.” Smolder called out. “He likes beryls the most.”
“We will.” Sandbar called back. “And… And make sure you tell him he’s a good boy and that his mommy loves him!” Smolder yelled over the crowd.
“We will!” Sandbar yelled back.
And then Sandbar and his family turned the corner and Brim was out of sight.
Smolder huffed a breath out, staring at the spot where they were for just a few more seconds.
“You okay?” Gallus asked.
“Yeah, just… first time I’ve ever been separated from the little squirt. But it’ll be fine, he’ll be fine.” Smolder said, forcing a smile which immediately started to crack. “Right?”
“Smolder, he’s with Yona. That kid is in the safest place in Equestria right now.” Gallus said.
“Besides, like Gallus said, you can always go check up on him whenever you want!” Silverstream added.
“We better get going though, the party’s probably already starting.” Ocellus said, looking at a mounted clock in the hallway.
“You two get going, I need to make a quick stop.” Smolder said to the two girls before turning to Gallus. “Would you mind coming with me?”
Gallus rolled his eyes. “We’re not already checking on the kid, are we? Y’know helicopter-parenting is bad for kids, right?” He laughed as Smolder gave him a punch to the arm.
“Smart-aleck. No, I just brought some fancy clothes for the party and I need you to stand watch outside while I get changed. Their inside my bag back in the library.” Smolder said, pointing back with her thumb.
“Scale of one to ten, how frou-frou we talking here?” Gallus asked.
“Just wait here.” Smolder huffed, turning back into the library.
“What? I just need to know how many hours this’ll take!” Gallus called back towards Smolder, narrowly dodging a thrown book to the face.
Ocellus shook her head. “Right, you two have fun. We’ll meet you at the auditorium.”
With that, Silverstream hooked her foreleg around Ocellus as the two trotted off, Silverstream waving goodbye. “Seeya!”
With not much else to do until Smolder was ready, Gallus leaned back against the wall outside the library door, wondering what kind of ‘fancy clothes’ Smolder brought with her.
Back when they were kids, he knew about the incredibly fancy get ups she would wear for whenever she and Ocellus got together for their not-so-secret tea parties. The mental image of a young dragoness in the most frilly, poofy, dress imaginable was one that stayed with Gallus for a long time.
He doubted she would be wearing anything like that ensemble in public.
“Okay, ready to go when you are.” He heard Smolder say as the library doors opened.
Gallus turned to look at her… and his lower beak promptly smashed into the ground.
The last word Gallus would use to describe Smolder’s new look is ‘Frou-frou’. Smolder was adorned in a black, one-piece dress that hugged her form quite naturally. The skirt ended just below her knees, and it was held in place by a single strap over her right shoulder.
Smolder smirked at Gallus’ reaction, clearly hoping for something to the same effect. “Well? What do you think?”
“Uuuuhh? Lookin’... Good?” Gallus croaked out, unsure of how to react in this whole situation. “Holy crap Smolder. You trying to make everyone’s nose bleed here?”
Smolder rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, Gallus. Do you know how rare it is that I get a chance to feel pretty in the Dragon Lands? I’m taking advantage of this situation while I can!”
Pretty is not the word that came to Gallus’ mind. No, an altogether different word came to Gallus’ mind.
Before Gallus could even think about what he was thinking of thinking about, Smolder grabbed him by the wrist and started pulling him towards the auditorium, apparently much more eager of getting the party started.
“What are we waiting for? We got the whole night to look forward to!”
Gallus will say one thing about going back to school at his age: The parties were much more livelier.
While there was an impromptu bar set up for some of the faculty and alumni to ‘wet their whistle’ as it were, it was pretty regulated and the servers made sure that everyone didn’t have too much. Just enough to loosen everycreature up a bit and get them in a more festive mood. Ambient music played over the auditorium’s sound systems. A good enough beat to get some of the more rhythmic attendees swaying to the music, but not enough to start a full on dance-party. Though, the night was still young.
But, more than that, was the sense that there wasn’t that teenage judgement anymore. When you’re a teenager, everything you do is reflective of your social image. While Gallus and his friends didn’t buy into that mentality as much as most kids their age, a benefit to having such a tight group of friends who loved and cared for one another unconditionally, that doesn’t mean they were immune to their hormones nor the culture of high school.
Here and now, though, everycreature had moved passed such concerns. They had all grown up, gotten jobs, settled down. For some, high school never truly ended. Gallus recognized some of the usual cliques from those days naturally congregate towards each other, seeking familiar faces. Still, it was a testament to the name ‘School of Friendship’ that when these cliques did start to intersect, there was no tension nor resistance. Everycreature was meeting each other jovially under the common banner of studying within this school.
Growing up, Gallus always felt as though the school was his true home. Much more so than Griffonstone, in any case. So this sea of faces from nearly every sentient creature under Celestia’s sun felt less like a reunion of former classmates and more like a homecoming of a massive, extended family. Siblings and cousins Gallus either remembered fondly or couldn’t wait to get to know.
And he knew he wasn’t alone in feeling that sentiment, even if it was just a tad more literal on his part.
Still, he did start to notice it when more than a couple pairs of eyes landed on him and Smolder when they crossed the doorway into the auditorium, Smolder scanning the crowd for their friends.
It took a few seconds before Gallus realized that Smolder was still holding his hand.
Gently pulling his talons out of Smolder’s grip, he jutted his thumb over to the refreshment table.
“Hey, uh, you go ahead and find the others. I’m just gonna get something to drink. D’you want anything?” He asked.
If Smolder noticed his recalcitrance from the knowing looks of the other party-goers, she didn’t show it. “Oh, sure. Whatever they got in the punch-bowl, I don’t want to get tipsy with Brim over in the play-room, y’know?”
Gallus gave a thumbs up before leaving Smolder to her search, making his way to the table.
Calm down. He thought to himself. People here know you and Smolder used to be tight. They’re not gonna look too deeply at some friendly hand-holding between friends.
Gallus had to let out a slight chuckle as the ridiculousness of the situation started to get to him. Him and Smolder? His mother’s wild imagination was starting to get to him too.
A cup of punch in hand, Gallus almost turned to walk towards the bar, but then thought better of it. He did promise Smolder he’d go with her whenever she needed to check on Brim. She probably wouldn’t appreciate Uncle Gallus being a bit too ‘happy’ around her kid. Instead, he merely grabbed another cup for himself and turned to head into the crowd, spying Smolder quite easily over the majority of ponies heads.
He came within earshot of the gang right in the middle of Sandbar and Yona reassuring her. “Don’t worry. Brim is safe and sound and Sorrel and Nettle are keeping a close eye on him.” Sandbar said, placing a hoof on Smolder’s arm.
“I know, I know. I shouldn’t worry. I mean, this is Ponyville! What can really happen to him here? Just… better to be safe than sorry, y’know?” Smolder said.
“Yona understand perfectly. Yona knows Sorrel and Nettle are in no danger, but still smash Ponyville to pieces if anything happened to them.” Yona said, much more happily than her destructive words would imply. “Yona knows will never come to that, but Yona prepared to unleash Hell, regardless.”
“Oh my Scorch, yes! Thank you for putting it to words!” Smolder said.
“Did they just bond over annihilating Ponyville over their children?” Ocellus asked, more than a little concerned.
“You’ll understand if you ever have larva of your own, Cell.” Sandbar said.
“Do changelings still have larva?” Silverstream asked, cocking her head. “Like, did that stay the same even after the whole ‘Mass Metamorphosis' thing?”
“Of course we still have larva! Why would our metamorphosis change such a fundamental part of our life-cycle?” Ocellus said.
“See, now I’m just imagining a little grub version of Ocellus, and I can’t tell if that’s cute or unsettling.” Gallus said, inserting himself into their circle. “Here’s your punch by the way.”
“Thanks, G.” Smolder said, downing the red, plastic cup in one swig.
“Aw, no punch for the rest of us?” Silverstream pouted.
“I only have two claws, sheesh.” Gallus said.
“Um, excuse me?” The group was brought out of their reverie by a pink hoof tapping Gallus on the shoulder. Gallus turned to face whoever this newcomer and was hit with a strange sense of deja-vu.
Standing right behind him was a hot-pink mare with her sunflower-colored mane done up in a loose ponytail. For whatever reason, Gallus couldn’t help but feel like he had seen her before.
“Uh, hey. What can I do for you?” Gallus said, trying to be polite.
“Sorry for just coming out of nowhere with this, but have we met each other before?” The mare asked, clearly studying Gallus’ features to try and jolt her memory. “I’m sorry, it’s just… I know I’ve seen you before and it’s driving me crazy trying to place where.”
“Uh…” Gallus trailed off. “Y’know, it’s funny. I was just thinking the same thing. You a former student, too?”
The mare shook her head. “No, I’m here with a friend who is. We wouldn’t have met then.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t… Wait…” Gallus screwed his eyes in thought, the memory just at the cusp of recollection. “Oh! Wait, I do remember you! Didn’t you have, like, a meeting with Princess Twilight or something bout four years back?”
The mare’s eyes lit up, realization dawning on her as well. “Yes! Now I remember! You were that Royal Guard who escorted me to the throne room! Um… Hey!” She said, now suddenly aware that she didn’t have much more reason to interrupt their conversation.
“Hey, yourself.” Gallus said with a smirk. “So, you live in Ponyville now?”
“Since that fateful meeting, yep. You too?” She said.
“Naw, just visiting for the Reunion. I live up in Griffonstone these days.” Gallus said.
“Griffonstone? Aren’t you still a Royal Guard?” She asked.
Gallus rubbed the back of his head. “Not for a few years now. I was really only a guard to pay my way through getting my Teaching Degree. I teach Griffon History to a bunch of cubs back home.”
“Oh, that sounds nice! I’m sorry, where are my manners?” She said, shaking her head, chuckling, before offering her hoof. “I’m Luster Dawn, nice to meet you… Again.”
Gallus, always happy to make a new friend, accepted the hoof with a shake. “Gallus. These are my friends: Sandbar, Yona, Ocellus, Silverstream…” He said, pointing to everycreature who each gave Luster a friendly wave in turn.
“And this is Smolder.” He said, gesturing to the dragoness who watched the whole display bemusedly.
“Sup.” Smolder said. “You know Twilight?”
“Ah… I guess not as well as you.” Luster said, raising an eyebrow. “Certainly not well enough to forego the ‘Princess’ title.”
“Heh, yeah, the Princess was the school’s old Headmare back in the day.” Gallus explained. “We… got a lot of ‘exposure’ to the Princess of Friendship. Let’s just say the Grandeur and Mystique of the Princess… kind of lost it’s novelty after the first year or two.”
“You’re telling me!” Smolder said, reminiscing. “You guys remember when she asked Princess Celestia to be in our school’s Hearth Warming Pageant, and she was way too ga-ga over her to tell her she couldn’t act her way out of a wet paper-bag?”
“Oh, our poor Headmare.” Ocellus said, cringing at the memory. “I know exactly how she felt. I don’t know if I could have done that with King Thorax or even her, for that matter.”
Sandbar shrugged. “Still, it was kind of… comforting in a way. Seeing the Princess being just another schlub like us, working through life one day at a time, and not always doing the best job. Kind of made me feel better about myself, y’know.”
“Believe me, I know exactly what your talking about. I can still worm some minor concessions out of Primarch Gilda with the right embarrassing story from when she was just a scone-hocker.” Gallus realized he earned a few judgemental stares for that. “Purely for the school’s benefit, of course.”
“Huh… I guess it’s good to remind myself every now and then that the Princess is still just another pony.” Luster said, more to herself than the others.
“You should go visit her sometime!” Silverstream said, suddenly. “I’m sure she’d love just a casual meet and greet from an old friend. Probably be a good distraction from all her royal duties and stuff.”
Luster looked down, embarrassed. “Oh, I wouldn’t exactly call us ‘friends’. It’s a pretty professional ‘Mentor-Student’ kind of relationship.”
Gallus shrugged. “Doesn’t mean it has to be that way all the time. We ended up becoming friends with pretty much all our teachers from back in the day. Heck, I can count a few students of my own who I could call friends.”
For her part, Luster did look hopeful. “Mmm, maybe someday. But for now, I should probably get back to my group before they wonder where I’ve wandered off. Sorry to bother you, by the way.”
Sandbar shook his head. “Nah, it was no bother at all. I was nice to meet you! You say you live in Ponyville, yeah? Maybe the Missus and I will see you around sometime?” He said, gesturing to Yona.
Luster smiled. “That… actually sounds nice. Take care!” With a final wave goodbye, Luster disappeared back into the crowd. --- Time passed as the festivities continued on, everyone casually discussing this or that, reuniting with old friends and a few even making new friends.
About a third of the way into the evening, it was decided to kick things up a notch.
“Alright, alright, party-people!” A light voice called out over the P.A.
Curiosity took the crowd as they looked over to the auditorium’s stage to see who it was over the mic.
“Oh no…” Smolder said, snickering as she put a claw over her forehead. “What is that dork doing?”
“DJ Scalez is back in the Hizz-House, making his comeback debut for the annual School of Friendship Reunion!!”
Spike had certainly grown a lot over the years, and Gallus would be lying if he said he wasn’t envious of the drake’s workout regimen. But he was still the same lovable doofus he had always been. Case in point, as the large dragon was currently in the process of setting up a disc mixer, wearing a much too small sequined, paper-mache head of… his own head.
Still, there were plenty in the school who remembered exactly who ‘DJ Scalez’ was, and credit where it was due, he clearly had his fans as a bunch of loud, boisterous cheering came from the crowd upon recognizing the oversized head.
“Let’s clear the floor for anyone who wants to get down and funky!! Lights!! Smoke!! Boogie-down!!”
With that, the generic ambience was replaced with fast, upbeat, music that wouldn’t be out of place in a rave as DJ Scalez went crazy on the mixer, scratching records to and fro with reckless abandon. There was no Spike for the rest of the night, only DJ Scalez. Almost immediately, the majority of attendees had already started to cut loose and hit the dance floor, apparently just waiting for an excuse to make absolute fools of themselves.
Gallus had to smile when he spotted Luster Dawn again, very awkwardly sashaying next to a much more exuberant kirin.
“Honey, may I have this dance?” Sandbar said, making a dramatic show of bowing low, offering a gentlemanly hoof to his wife.
Yona giggled, taking Sandbar’s hoof and leading him to the dance floor. It didn’t take to long before their ‘dancing’ devolved into Yona’s usual yak-stomping. Thank Grover they expanded the auditorium in recent years, Gallus thought to himself.
“I don’t know about the rest of you guys, but I’m not spending this dance as a wallflower like last time.” Ocellus said.
“Right there with you, buggaboo!” Silverstream said, giggling as she and Ocellus flew off to join Sandbar and Yona.
Only Gallus and Smolder were left behind, standing awkwardly next to each other as they watched their friend’s dance.
Smolder coughed into her fist, getting Gallus’ attention. “So, uh, I just remembered that I still owe you a dance from last time.”
Gallus cocked an eyebrow. “You do?”
Smolder shrugged. “Yeah, you know? I invited you to that dance all those years back, but then we just kinda bummed out at the table?” She scratched her arm. “Kinda feel bad for being such a crappy partner that night.”
Gallus looked up at Smolder before smiling, offering his claw. “Well, no time like the present. You wanna dance?”
Smolder smiled back, grasping Gallus’ hand as the two made their way to the dance floor. --- Gallus will say this, he was never the most graceful griff. But it’s not as though there was any sort of competition happening. No one here was an expert at moving their bodies. Except for maybe Sandbar and Yona, but those two practiced dancing together for weeks before their wedding.
If nothing else, Gallus wasn’t as bad as Luster, who was now doing this weird, sprinkler-like move. Did Twilight also teach her how to dance? Gallus wondered.
No, no one was here to show-off any sort of skill. They were just having fun, moving wherever the rhythm took them, even if it took them bumping into other attendees, but it was always laughed off when it happened and the dancing continued.
All of that said, Smolder clearly had a bit more going for her than the others. She wasn’t ‘good’ by any traditional sense of the word. But she was certainly… energetic. She made good use of the fact that, unlike the majority of their friends, she could actually balance herself on two legs, waving her arms around the air.
It seemed like she was serious about making up for lost time with Gallus, often grabbing him by the hands and twirling around, both of them laughing at the sheer absurdity.
After a good long while, when everycreature had a chance to work up a decent sweat, did the music fade down as DJ Scalez took the mic again.
“Alright, party-people. We’re gonna slow it down a bit and give all of you some time to catch your breath. Everycreature, grab a partner and get cozy…”
And with that, a slow song started to play. The kind that invited an altogether different kind of dancing.
Sandbar and Yona gave each other a glance before immediately wrapping their forelegs around each other, or as best they could in Sandbar’s case. Their eyes full of love for each other as they held one another close.
Others, who had no such ‘partner’ to get cozy with, like Silverstream, Ocellus, and Luster, deigned to head back to the walls and get out of the dancing couples way. Some headed to the refreshments for more food or drink, others just hanging back and resuming their conversations.
Gallus was about to head over to Silverstream and Ocellus place against the wall, when an orange, scaly hand held him back.
“Hey, where are you going?” Smolder asked, teasingly. “I thought I owed you a dance?”
Gallus looked back, seeing that Smolder was offering her hands for Gallus to take. “You… You serious?”
Smolder pretended to pout. “What, you don’t want to dance with me? I’m hurt, Gally.”
Gallus scoffed before finally taking Smolder’s hands in his own. There was a bit of awkwardness as the two worked to see just how far they wanted to take this. While they finally ended up with Smolder’s arms around Gallus’ neck and his own claws resting a ‘respectable’ distance above her waist, they still kept each other at arm’s length. They didn’t really ‘dance’ so much as sway back and forth, slowly turning while alternating between staring at each other’s eyes and looking away to chuckle.
“You, heh, you realize what this looks like to everyone else, right?” Gallus said.
“Oh, shush, let me have my fun. D’ya think dragons really go for this kind of schmaltzy stuff often? When am I ever going to get a chance to do this again?” Smolder said.
“Do you mean ‘get a chance to slow dance’? Or ‘get a chance to slow dance with me’?” Gallus wondered.
Smolder lidded her eyes. “Well… Like I said, I owed you a dance.”
“Right.” Gallus said, not really wanting to argue the point, lest it end the dance pre-maturely. For Smolder’s sake, of course.
On a lark, Gallus took a peek at some of the other coup- partners swaying to the music. He was surprised that the two of them, as well as Sandbar and Yona, weren’t the only… unconventional pairing out on the dance floor.
He saw a zebra with a hippogriff, another griffon with a changeling, even a diamond dog whispering sweet nothings to a giggling kirin. With such strange pairings, Gallus realized it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to the imagination to look at Gallus and Smolder and… get the wrong impression about the two of them.
However, despite that, he couldn’t bring himself to draw away from Smolder. Obviously, he wasn’t going to ruin her fun because of what others might think.
“So, uh… Thank you, by the way.” Smolder said.
“Hmm? For what?” Gallus said, being taken out of his musings.
“For helping me with Brim tonight. Carrying him around, looking out for him when Silver got a bit too… excited.” Smolder said, looking down at the floor as she blushed. “He likes you, y’know? I can tell.”
“Yeah, well…” Gallus trailed off. “I got a soft-spot for the little squirt myself. Y’know if you need anything with him… I’m your griff.”
“I know… Thank you.” She said.
Suddenly, Smolder leaned forward ever so slightly. Gallus found himself freezing stock-solid, the gears in his brain grinding to a halt as it switched mid-clutch.
Only to resume normal procedure when Smolder merely reached down and tugged the hem of her black dress.
“Sorry, it was riding up just a bit.” Smolder said, placing her arm around Gallus’ neck again. “You alright? You look kinda… I don’t know? Surprised?”
“Ah… Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” Gallus said, shaking some very unwanted thoughts out of his brain. “I, uh, I thought I might have forgotten something back in Griffonstone, but it was a false-alarm. No worries.”
“Oh… Alright.” Smolder said, shrugging.
Finally, after a bit too long in Gallus’ book, the first song faded to a close. A lot of the more intimate couples, like Sandbar and Yona, sealing the end of their dance with a kiss.
While Gallus and Smolder merely pulled their arms away from each other, now standing awkwardly with no real idea what to do next.
“Do you mind if we check on Brim real quick?” Smolder asked.
“Sure.” --- True to Sandbar’s word, Brim was in good-spirits in the playroom, happily gnawing on a wooden letter-block while Sorrel and Nettle entertained him with a game of Pirates vs Ninjas.
Of course, the sides blurred a bit after the Ninjas got a pirate ship of their own and the Pirates started studying martial arts to even the playing field, but Brim was engrossed in his cousins’ make-believe all the same.
“You’ll never make it to the treasure, Captain Katana!” Sorrel said, a marker in place of a sword pointing straight at her brother. Nettle, adorned in an eyepatch made of black construction paper and tape, stood his ground against the interloper.
“Bwa-ha-ha! I laugh at you, Flying-Pegleg! See, I just laughed!” Nettle said from atop his cardboard pirate ship. “Before you can face me… You must challenge… The deadly Kraken!!”
Nettle pointed over to Brim who looked up at the gesture, still doing little more than drooling over the wooden block.
“Uh… deadly Kraken?” Nettle said, gesturing towards Sorrel. “Can you please devour her?”
Brim garbled non-committedly.
“...A-ha! As you can see, Captain Katana, I have tamed this mighty beast with my Kraken-Taming-Mind-Rays!” Sorrel shouted triumphantly.
“Curses! I knew I should have gotten those extra-large tinfoil hats at Krakens-R-Us!”
“I can’t tell if this is the silliest thing I’ve ever seen, or one of the coolest.” Gallus said, smirking along with Smolder at the display.
As Sorrel and Nettle realized they had an audience, they immediately dropped character to barrel into Gallus once more. “UNCLE GALLUS!!!”
“Oof!! Oh, come on kids! You’re gonna break poor Uncle Gallus in two one of these days!” Gallus said, giving the twins a tight hug all the same.
“Aw, no love for Auntie Smolder? Come on, this tough ol’ dragon can take it!” Smolder said, challenging the twins.
A challenge that was answered as the twins quite literally spring-boarded off of Gallus’ chest to tackle/hug Smolder with all of their might, sending all three of them careening to the ground, laughing.
Brim gave a trilling laugh himself as he crawled on all fours over to his mother’s face, lying on the ground as Sorrel and Nettle sat on her stomach.
Smolder giggled as Brim placed his paws all over her face, welcoming her back in the only way a baby could.
Gallus turned to lean on his side, watching with a content smile as Smolder sat up to pick up Brim off the floor, bringing in her muzzle to raspberry Brim’s stomach, a squeal of delight coming from the infant drake.
Gallus knew right away that the two of them were most likely going to spend the rest of the Reunion party playing with the kids.
Evening passed into night as Luna’s moon, or more accurately Twilight’s moon now, rose above the horizon and was now sitting pretty overhead, illuminating the night-sky and Equestria below.
The alumni of the School of Friendship were slowly, but surely starting to drizzle out of the school into the cool, night air. The festivities having ended, though many former students electing to remain just a few moments longer, not quite ready to say goodnight and, for some, say goodbye.
“Hee-hee, I haven’t had fun like that in months!” Silverstream said, gently nursing a store-brand bottle of appletini in her claw. She and the others, sans Gallus and Smolder, were winding down the adrenaline of the night on one of the tables in the auditorium. The cleaning staff generously leaving their table for last.
“More trouble in the Industry, Silv?” Ocellus said, giving her friend a concerned look.
“No, no… Guys, I swear, it really is just this one jerk that’s been causing problems. Everything else with the company is going great!” Silverstream said, putting the bottle to her forehead. “I’m just… really enjoying having a break from it.”
“Yona can see that.” Yona said, leaning gently as she could against a tired Sandbar, so as not to squish him. “Yona love working for Miss Rarity. Best job ever being her apprentice. Still very hard job, though. Demanding job. Leave very little room for…” Yona gave Sandbar a nudge, earning a kiss on the cheek from the seafoam pony. “Other things.”
“Awww! You two are just adorable!” Silver said, cupping her cheeks.
“Seriously, best part of coming back for Reunion Week is just getting to be near you two. Very filling, I have to say.” Ocellus said.
Sandbar shrugged. “Not sure if that’s creepy or endearing, but I’m gonna take it as a good sign for our relationship.”
It was at that moment Gallus and Smolder came walking back in, Brim in Smolder’s arm and a pair of dozing hybrids lain out across Gallus’ back, as well as a satchel draped across his chest. “Oh crap, party’s over already?” Smolder said, shaking a piece of loose confetti off her foot. “Gallus, I’m sorry. I didn’t think we were gone that long.”
Gallus shrugged. “Meh. I got to hang out with an old friend and have a great time. I’d call that a successful Reunion.” He said, spotting their friends at the table in the far back. “Besides, we still have the rest of the week to look forward to.”
The two made their way to the table, Ocellus helping to levitate Sorrel and Nettle’s sleeping forms over to Yona and Sandbar. “Looks like these little dudes had a party of their own.” Sandbar said, cradling his daughter. “They didn’t give you much trouble, did they?”
“Nah, of course not. We played some games, had some laughs.” Smolder said, setting Brim on top of the table, facing her. “Brim here apparently got himself some new buddies, didn’t ya kiddo?” She said, tickling her baby. “Gallus, can you hand me the…?”
“Right here.” Gallus said, already producing a small, yellow canister from the satchel and handing it to Smolder.
“Thanks.” Smolder said, taking the canister. “I had Gallus double-back and grab my bag from the library. Honestly, I probably should have done this before the party.” She said, opening the canister to reveal it filled to the brim with a sparkling, violet powder. Smolder shook the canister a little bit, sifting the powder before placing a finger in the powder and giving it an experimental lick. “Blech, chalky… But good enough for a baby.”
As Smolder got to work feeding Brim fingertips coated in powdered beryls, Sandbar turned to face the group. “So, it’s getting pretty late, and we’re gonna need to get up early for our traditional breakfast tomorrow. What are we doing about the sleeping arrangements?”
This was a common topic of discussion during Reunion Week. Between the six of them, they had two different houses to rest their heads in during the week. One was Sandbar and Yona’s home, being the only two among them who still lived in Ponyville. While they had no guestrooms, the two couches in their living room were plenty comfy enough.
The other house was Starlight and Trixie’s house, which once upon a time was the old Castle of Friendship. Once Twilight moved back into Canterlot, it made perfect sense for Starlight to just continue living in the castle as her permanent residence, as well as have her then-marefriend, Trixie, move in with her. On the caveat that she would still get to keep her wagon.
That said, it was less of a castle now and more of a… really, fancy house as a good decade or so of renovations, moth mundane and magical, reduced the sheer opulence of the abode somewhat into something more cozy and homey, something the Ponyville Urban Development Community was very happy about given how, despite how impressive the original castle was, it was something of an eyesore.
Of course, when Gallus was officially adopted by the two mares, he was given his own room which the two kept perfectly intact after he moved out, for all the times he would visit for holidays and special events like, for example, Reunion Week. That, plus a spare guest-room leftover from the renovations gave the group options for all of them to lay their heads somewhere at night.
“If you guys don’t mind, I think Smolder should probably bunker down with me and the folks for the week.” Gallus said. “With a baby to worry about now, she could probably use the extra elbow room an actual bed could give her.”
“Aw, thanks, G!” Smolder said, wiping her finger off the side of her dress before getting to work cleaning off Brim’s purple-tinted mouth. “But only if you two are cool with that.” She said to Silverstream and Ocellus.
Ocellus shrugged. “Makes no difference to me, and it does make the most sense.”
Silverstream giggled. “Get to wake up early and watch cartoons with the kiddies? Yeah, I think I can manage.” --- Before turning in, the group refreshed themselves outside, taking in the night air. Brim gave a hearty yawn, smacking his lips as he clung closer to Smolder.
“Looks like Brim’s all partied out.” Smolder said. “Guess we should say goodnight, huh?”
“We’ll see you bright and early at our house tomorrow?” Sandbar asked, carrying Sorrel on his back as Yona carried Nettle.
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Gallus said, readjusting Smolder’s satchel across his chest. “Goodnight guys.” He said, giving Sandbar a hug before turning in kind to each of the others, each one reciprocating the embrace before doing the same with Smolder.
Pulling away from the dragoness, Silverstream bent back down to the drowsy baby in Smolder’s arms. “Goodnight, little Brimy…” She said, planting a quick kiss on top of Brim’s head.
With that, Smolder turned to Gallus and followed him to his home, leaving the other four to their own thoughts.
“.......They’re totally gonna hook up by the end of the week.” Ocellus said.
“Hold on, what?” Sandbar asked, incredulous. “Where in Tartarus did that come from?”
“Sandbar, I’m a changeling. I can feel this sort of thing, remember?” Ocellus said, deadpan. “Wait… so friend Gallus and friend Smolder are…” Yona trailed off, looking back at the two creaures in question getting smaller in the distance.
“Well, not yet, in any case. It’s more just… a spark. Something that could happen, y’know?” Ocellus said, shrugging. “It’s entirely possible one or both of them is going to totally blow it and nothing will come of it, but I’m not betting on it.”
“Hmm. I don’t know.” Silverstream said, putting a finger to her chin in thought. “I mean, I totally agree with you that there is definitely a thing happening between those two, but I can’t help but feel they’re both just a little too stubborn and thick-headed to realize what it is or be too chicken-shit to really make a move on each other.”
Three pairs of eyes stared incredulously at the hippogriff.
“What? I’m flighty, not dumb!” Silver admonished. “I notice these things.”
Sandbar put a hoof to his head. “Look, before you two start betting bits over this, can we just agree not to say anything to them about this?”
Yona nodded. “Sandbar right. Whatever happens between friends should happen naturally on their terms. Stay friends or become couple, that is friends’ decision. Not ours.”
Ocellus nodded. “Well, of course. I wasn’t about to suggest we should start hiding in bushes and try to emotionally manipulate the two into becoming an item.”
“You weren’t?” Silverstream asked. “Oh, well, there goes my plans for the week.” --- With the Reunion party a rousing success for another year running, Starlight was tired but in good spirits when she finally came home. Realizing how quiet it was when she walked in, she gathered that neither Trixie nor Gallus must have come home yet, the former still busy helping Coco up in Canterlot and the latter no doubt still enjoying his friends’ company for a little while longer.
Which meant, for a few hours at least, Starlight had the house mostly to herself, aside from one other member of their family.
Sure enough, when Starlight made a beeline towards the kitchen, she wasn’t surprised to see her daughter, Mirage, sitting at the counter reading a book. Apparently it was a rather engrossing one as she barely looked up from her reading to address her mother.
“Hey Mom.” She said, flipping the page.
“Hello Mirage.” Starlight said, opening the door to the fridge. While the leftover slice of pumpkin pie called to her, she knew hers and Trixie’s cheat-day wasn’t for another four days. With a little bit of willpower, she instead moved her attention to the special sugar-free muffins Pinkie prepared for the two.
Oh, the joys of growing older, Starlight thought as she passed one more wistful glance to that sweet smelling slice of pie, taking a blueberry muffin from the fridge.
“Did you finish your homework?” Starlight asked, nibbling on the sugarless dessert. She tried to take a cursory peek at whatever book had her daughter so enthralled, easily telling from just a quick glance that this was one of ‘Aunt Twily’s’ old spellbooks. Another one.
Starlight fought back a sigh as she looked up at her daughter’s forehead, and the noticeable lack of any horn. She briefly contemplated saying something, but thought against it as the words died in her muffin-filled mouth.
Mirage, of course, was so focused on studying the arcane scrawlings that she didn’t notice her mother’s trepidation. “It’s the weekend, Mom. I’ll have plenty of time.”
Starlight nodded. “Okay, just don’t put it off too long. Procrastination is a terrible habit to get into.”
Mirage finally looked up from her book to give her mother a reassuring smile. “I know, Mom, I’m just taking it easy for tonight. That way, I can take to it fully refreshed tomorrow.”
Starlight half-hugged her daughter, pulling her head into her chest. “I’m sure you know what you’re doing. I’m just looking out for you.”
Mirage returned the half-hug before drawing away a bit to look around the kitchen, apparently expecting something, or someone.
“Hey, where’s Gallus? Didn’t you say you saw him at the Reunion?” Mirage asked.
“I did, but I had to leave him with his friends to keep the party on track.” Starlight explained. “My guess, he’s still having some late-night fun with them and will probably be home soon.”
Mirage nodded, bringing her attention back to her book. “I can’t wait to see him! How long has it been now? Since at least last Hearth’s Warming, right?”
“That’s right.” Starlight said solemnly. “I feel like he’s visiting less and less each year. I know he doesn’t mean to, but I can’t help but feel like that school up in Griffonstone is taking up so much of his time.”
“Seems Reunion Week is the only time we can know for sure that Gallus will actually get on that train and come down for a visit. And I’m worried about what might happen when that no longer applies.”
Mirage pursed her lips in thought. “You still offer him that job at our school, right?”
Starlight nodded. “Everytime he comes down. And everytime, he says no.”
Mirage shrugged. “Well, at the risk of sounding insensitive, there really isn’t much you can do on that front. Short of kidnapping Gallus and chaining him to a post here in Ponyville.”
Starlight almost choked as she picked a bad time to take another bite of her muffin, fighting back her laugh. “Pffha! Heh, ah, don’t tempt me.”
Finally, the very object of their discussion literally came knocking on their door, opening it a crack to call out inside.
“Hello? Mom, you home?”
“In the kitchen, sweetie.” Starlight called out. “Come in, there’s someone who wants to see you!”
As Gallus walked in, Smolder and Brim following close behind, his eyes lit up on seeing the teenage pony wearing a large smile for him.
“Hey! There you are!” Gallus said, dropping Smolder’s satchel on the counter before moving to scoop Mirage into a tight hug. “How you been, sis?”
“Ah, can’t complain. You?” Mirage asked.
“Miri, I just got back from Griffonstone. I got plenty to complain about. You got time?” Gallus said, smirking.
Mirage dusted off the counter stool next to her. “Dr. Mirage at your service. Hey Smolder!” She said, finally addressing the dragoness.
Mirage let out a giggle as Gallus took a seat at the counter, giving Mirage a clear view of Smolder’s little bundle in her arms.
“Woah! Hold up! Rewind!” Mirage said, shoving Gallus out of her view.
“Wha-Hey!”
“When did this happen!?” Mirage cried out, pointing her hoof at a very curious Brim.
Smolder snickered as Gallus tried to balance himself back on his stool, shooting a glare at his sister. “Not even a month ago.” Smolder said. “This handsome fella here is Brimstone. Brim for short.” Smolder held Brim down a bit to give Mirage a clearer view. “Do you want to hold him?”
“Uh… yeah!” Mirage said, excitement clear in her eyes.
As Smolder squeezed behind Gallus, Starlight giggling at the whole display, she knelt down and gently placed Brim in Mirage’s waiting forelegs.
“Stay calm and breathe slowly.” Smolder instructed. “Babies can tell when your nervous. You don’t have to worry about supporting a dragon baby’s head as much as pony baby, but you should still extend the courtesy.”
“Wow…” Mirage said, freely allowing Brim to paw at her face, exploring this new person on a veritable night of new people.
Her wonder was cut short when she shot a glare at Gallus, giving her brother a not-too-soft kick to the shins.
“Ow! What was that for?” Gallus demanded.
“You jerk! You could have sent a letter, or something!” Mirage reprimanded. “Instead, I have to find out you’re a dad by having a baby be plopped in my arms and hear ‘Surprise! You’re an Aunt!’”
“Wait? What!?” Smolder sputtered. “You thought that Gallus…? That Gallus and I…?” Shock gave way to disbelief, which then gave way to stunned laughter. “Pfffffhahahaha!! Seriously!? Miri, Gallus isn’t Brim’s dad. We’re not even dating!”
“Wait, you’re…?” Starlight started to say, before a glance from Gallus told her everything. “Ohhhh… Oh, I thought… Oh, that’s embarrassing.”
As Smolder continued to laugh her scales off, Mirage took another look at the babbling babe in her forelegs. “Huh. Yeah, I guess when I actually look at him, it seems pretty obvious.” She said, flashing a smirk at Gallus. “He’s way too good-looking to be your kid.”
“Gee, thanks, sis.” Gallus said, deadpan.
Suddenly, without warning, a bright flash of purple light emanated from thin air as the silhouette of a unicorn mare apparated on top of the kitchen counter within an instant.
As the light disappeared as quickly as it came, a blue unicorn with a silver mane stood atop the counter, posing dramatically.
“Greetings, my darling family! Your Great and Powerful Matriarch has returned from her grand adventure to Canter-”
“Trixie, get off the counter.” Starlight said.
“Oop! Sorry, honey…” Trixie said sheepishly, carefully stepping down from her perch.
“I thought it was a good entrance Mom. Solid eight out of ten.” Mirage said.
“Thank you, sweetie. Trixie is always happy toGALLUS!!” Trixie shouted upon noticing her son was actually present.
“Hey, MoaaaAARGHH!!!” Gallus tried to say before Trixie pulled him into a crushing hug.
“Oh my darling boy! I was so worried I wouldn’t get to see you tonight!” Trixie cried out, tightening her grip on the griff who was becoming even bluer than usual.
“You have such a… vibrant family.” Smolder said, smirking at the display.
It was actually a common problem for him. Moreso when he was younger, but he did have to suffer through the occasional relapse here and there.
The insomnia first started to affect him a few months after he had first moved into the School of Friendship’s dorms. Something that certainly confused Gallus at first. One would think that exchanging the cold, empty hovel in Griffonstone for the warmth and safety of the School, surrounded on all sides by creatures who cared for him, would make Gallus sleep sounder than a newborn hatchling.
It wasn’t until Trixie and Starlight took notice of his late-night wanderings about the house that they suggested therapy as an option.
Gallus originally scoffed at the idea. Therapy was for creatures that heard voices in their heads, or planned to murder their terrible employers. He just had trouble sleeping some nights. Pop some goodnight-pills and let the problem take care of itself.
Of course, Starlight was much more adamant, having been something of a poster-child for the effectiveness of good therapy herself. Though Gallus did think she was something of an extreme case which, in his eyes, only further proved his point.
Still, he was still a minor in her care. At the end of the day, she was the guardian and he was her charge. However much he grumbled, he did eventually agree to seeing a shrink, if only to spare both of the two mares any worry.
Those first few visits to the therapist, a plum-purple unicorn mare with a frazzled orange mane named Ms. Pathway, were mostly spent in spiteful silence. Just because Gallus agreed to see a therapist, didn’t mean he actually had to say anything to the quack.
That said, Ms. Pathway was nothing if not professional. She knew all about this kind of patient. Young, brash, think they have a full grasp of their own mind so of course they don’t need anyone’s opinions but their own.
Not much she could do but let Gallus stew in silence, thank him for his time, then invite him back for another session.
Ms. Pathway had a patience born from years of dealing with ponies ten times more indignant and stubborn than Gallus in every way.
While Gallus was, at his core, a teenager still trying to figure things out.
What harm could there be in asking for a little help?
After about five separate sessions of Gallus offering little more than haughty indifference, he finally laid out his cards.
“Okay.” He told her in the middle of their session. “What do you want to know?”
She asked him about his home life, his relationship with Trixie and Starlight, his friendship with the others of his group. She asked him about his future, what he planned to do after graduating.
Then she asked him about his past, before coming to Equestria.
From the way Gallus looked away the first time it was brought up, Ms. Pathway was worried Gallus might slip back to silence. But then he looked back with a tired emptiness in his eyes.
“Bad.” Gallus said. “I’m pretty sure I don’t have to tell you that those two mares in the waiting room aren’t my real parents. Mom died laying my egg and Dad ditched me when things got tough. I was barely old enough to chirp when Griffonstone dropped me off in some old buzzard’s talons who couldn’t be bothered to do any ‘parenting’ outside of making sure I didn’t starve. From there, I spent every day, week, month, and year of my life shunted off to the edge of our city. Out of sight, out of mind. Alone.”
After a while, Gallus did receive an answer, or at least a theory, from Ms. Pathway. Though what she offered was almost enough for Gallus to walk right out of her office and call her every synonym for fraud that he knew.
She thought he was in denial.
In Ms. Pathway’s own words, she believed Gallus’ subconscious was outright rejecting this new life. That the comfort of his new home, the love of his new friends, the care of his new guardians, were all considered to be a lie, a dream his conscious mind was having, and that eventually, he would wake up and be right back in that cold, empty hovel in Griffonstone.
Because, on some base level, Gallus felt he didn’t deserve to be happy.
As Ms. Pathway droned on, talking about how this was actually a common problem for creatures who dealt with childhood trauma and neglect, an attempt by the subconscious to somehow justify their past suffering when it just didn’t mesh with their current happiness, Gallus kept shutting out each and every word she was saying.
Gallus, of course, balked at all of this. He told Ms. Pathway that he was under no delusions over what was real and what was fantasy.
Ms. Pathway countered that even if he knew that, his brain might not.
That said, Ms. Pathway did make it clear that this was only a theory, based on what little Gallus was willing to share about his past. Which Gallus would fully admit was not much. There are things about his past that not even his closest friends knew about, nor would ever know if he had anything to say about it.
It was entirely possible the insomnia was caused by something else entirely, but Ms. Pathway offered no real solutions other than to hope the problem went away in time and to keep seeing her so that they could continue working towards a more long-term goal.
Gallus refused to see her again… for a few years at least.
He actually did decide, of his own volition no less, to go back to her office around the time he started studying for his Teaching Degree. Whatever problems he had with Ms. Pathway picking apart his brain, she did only ever try to help him and she did, on occasion, help Gallus feel less stressed about the common goings-on in his life, which were at a record high while juggling a job as a Royal Guard on top of higher education.
As Gallus continued to lay on his bed, staring up at his ceiling, he reminded himself that he had another session at her office in a few weeks. Something to look forward to, he guessed.
Knowing he wasn’t going to get any sleep any time soon, Gallus dragged himself out of his bed to see what he could do to entertain himself before fatigue finally caught up with him.
Looking at the clock by his bedside, he saw it was already well past midnight. Not terribly late, but considering he and Smolder were expected to have an early breakfast at Sandbar and Yona’s house, he figured it would be a much more enjoyable morning for all involved if he wasn’t falling asleep in their dining room.
Sighing, Gallus trudged over to his bookshelf. Maybe a quick chapter or two from one of his stories might lull him to sleep. If it worked for small children, why not give it a shot?
Gallus did take a peek at the ‘Friend Shelf’ with a bit of a smile. The five books therein were a series of gifts Gallus received from his friends in a shared Hearth’s Warming gift, each book an exemplar of their respective cultures.
That was something all of his friends shared with each other, and indeed the reason they were all friends in the first place. An honest, genuine curiosity and appreciation for each other’s different culture. Especially at a time when said cultures had their fair share of distrust or disdain for one another.
Sandbar’s was the most thematically appropriate. A Hearth’s Warming Tale. Because of course ponies would write a story about divine intervention for the sole purpose of making one pony not be a jerk.
Yona’s book was more a manuscript, a survival guide for any who dare to enter the frozen mountains the yaks called home. For whenever friend Gallus wants to visit, Yona would say.
Ocellus gave him a more modern book, considering the changeling hive under Chrysalis was a bit stunted in the art and culture department. What was odd was that it was a children’s book, meant for kids around Sorrel and Nettle’s age. About a young changeling who went around accidentally scaring ponies and other creatures but who eventually found a friend who wasn’t scared of them. A friend they could share love with. The book was obviously a little below Gallus’ reading level, but he appreciated the symbolic gesture nonetheless.
Silverstream… gave him a book detailing the history and manufacturing of garden gnomes and other lawn ornaments. If there were any deeper symbolic meaning, it was completely lost on Gallus. But the smile on Silverstream’s face when he opened her gift was enough for Gallus to say he loved it.
And, of course, Smolder was the odd dragon out. It didn’t help that dragons were a bit behind, technologically speaking, from the other species of the world. So much so that they didn’t even have a concept of printing in the Dragon Lands. No printing, no books. At least, none that were accessible to the public. Thus, a lot of dragon stories were told orally, which is why the Feast of Fire was so important to the dragons. It made sure those stories weren’t lost to time.
So, instead of giving Gallus a book, she spirited him away in the middle of the festivities, revealing she had made a nest of pillows and sheets in his room for just the two of them.
She locked the door to make sure they wouldn’t be disturbed, sat Gallus down at the nest, and told Gallus story after story after story. Their own little Feast of Fire, with the cherry on top being a tape recorder Smolder bought earlier that week so that Gallus could listen to those stories whenever he felt like it.
It was, by far, the best Hearth’s Warming Gallus ever had.
He reached for the recorder, set up right next to all the other books on the ‘Friend Shelf’, before drawing back. It was late, and he didn’t want the sound to wake up anyone still sleeping.
Maybe if he found a pair of headphones first.
As quietly as he could, Gallus creeped out into the hallway, passing by his sister’s room. Nearing the living room, he did spy the counter where his mothers kept their favorite family pictures.
He paused for a bit to admire his own favorite picture out of the bunch. A young Gallus holding an infant Mirage, the very same day Starlight and Trixie brought her from the orphanage.
Gallus saw his own nervous smile looking back up at him, and the warmth from holding his new sister came back as strong as ever.
It had only been a year after Gallus was adopted himself before Starlight and Trixie decided to increase their family by one more. He was still reeling from the notion that he was a son, and now he was a brother on top of that.
Of course, Miri’s role in all this wasn’t as sunshine and rainbows as it was for the other members of the family. There was a reason she was in that orphanage in the first place.
It was a freak accident, or so the authorities said. One spark from one bit of faulty electrical wiring in the middle of the night, and the whole house was ablaze before anyone knew what was happening.
Miri only survived by sheer, dumb luck. The fire started from the second floor and hadn’t quite reached her nursery at the opposite corner of the house before the firefighters managed to spirit her out.
Her parents… weren’t so lucky. Her father perished in the fire. While her mother was able to get out of the house thanks to the firefighters, she later succumbed to her smoke-poisoned lungs. She lived long enough to tell the paramedics that Miri had no other family but them. That they came to Ponyville seeking a fresh start.
And, just like that, Mirage became a child of the state.
For all of three months before Starlight and Trixie visited the orphanage.
Gallus sighed, thinking back on those events. He never knew Miri’s birth parents personally. Never even heard about them until he came home from school one night and saw Princess Twilight in his living room having a tense discussion with Starlight about the whole thing.
Still, if he could go back…
If nothing else, they were never dishonest to Mirage. The second she started to piece together that having two mares for parents and a brother that was an entirely different species didn’t exactly fit the model of a nuclear family, they told her the truth, as much as they could without scarring the poor filly.
Gallus remembered Miri being really quiet when she first learned the truth, refusing to say a word to anyone of them for a long time.
Until, after only a day or two, she came out of her room, eyes red and bloodshot, and gave each of them the tightest hug she could muster at the tender age of five.
This was Gallus’ family. They were weird, full of themselves, belligerent and proud to a fault. None of them were actually related to each other in any traditional sense… But they were his family.
Shaking the sentimentality off, Gallus kept going towards the living room, thinking that maybe someone left a pair of headphones on the entertainment stand.
Television was a relatively new development to Equestria. While they had the concept for filming, mostly used for movie theaters, home theaters was something that wouldn’t come about until after Princess Twilight brought the technology back from the… Hoo-Man world or whatever it was called. Gallus always thought that whole thing was kind of weird since he first heard about it.
They didn’t yet have the capability to apparently send film to television sets across the world like the other world could. Something about ‘streaming’ or something, Gallus remembered hearing one egghead talk about it. What rivers had to do with all this was well beyond Gallus’ comprehension.
That said, they were capable of playing pre-recorded film right in the comfort of one’s own home, so that was pretty cool.
So it surprised Gallus, somewhat, to see his mother, Trixie, lounging on the couch watching one such movie with the volume down low, so as not to wake the rest of the house.
Just a glance at the screen was enough for Gallus to see she was watching a crime noir. Apparently, Rarity introduced the genre to Trixie and she, of course, fell in love with the panache and pageantry of a good mystery thriller.
Evidently, he wasn’t as stealthy as he thought as Trixie’s ears perked up as he approached, peeking out over the edge of the couch to see him slinking in the living room.
“Hey, sweetie…” Trixie said in a hoarse whisper. “Another all-nighter?”
Gallus rubbed the back of his neck. “Hopefully not all night.” He grumbled. “I’m sorry Mom, didn’t mean to bother you.”
“No no! Come visit with me for a bit!” Trixie offered, patting the seat on the couch next to her. “We hardly got to talking before you headed straight to bed.”
“Heh, yeah, sorry about that. It’s just… long night and early morning to get up to.” Gallus said, rounding the couch to take a seat.
The sat in a comfortable silence as they watched the detective on screen put the pieces of a grisly crime scene together.
“I wanted to apologize, too.” Trixie said. “You didn’t need me smothering you the second you got home.”
Gallus said nothing for a few seconds, trying to put his thoughts to words. “D’you wanna know something?”
“Hmm?”
“When I think about you smothering me with way too much affection, or when I think about you and Mom being just a bit too uptight and full of yourselves, or when I think about how much of a little pest Miri is. Do you know what I always think to myself?” Gallus asked, sincerely.
“I’m almost afraid to ask…” Trixie said.
“I think to myself… How freaking lucky I am to have you guys in my life.” Gallus said. “So, believe me Mom, I can handle a bit of smothering. It’s one-hundred times better than what I had before.”
Trixie said nothing, but simply smiled up at her son, wrapping her foreleg around his back as the two held each close.
“Do you remember…?” Trixie began, grabbing Gallus’ interest. “I don’t really know why that made me think of this, but do you remember… The first time you called me ‘Mom’?”
Gallus let out a small laugh. “Yeah, I remember. It was just… what was it? Three, four months after you two adopted me?”
“Around that, yeah.” Trixie said.
“You were going to the market to grab something for dinner and you asked me to come along. I didn’t have anything better to do, so I just figured ‘Why not?’.”
“And when we got there…” Trixie continued. “I asked you to take a look at the spice racks for me… And you said ‘Sure, Mom.’.”
Trixie giggled a bit at the memory. “I was so shocked, I almost dropped everything I was carrying. Just… Mom! Right outta nowhere! I mean, full disclosure, I had kind of always hoped you would call me that one day, since the moment we adopted you. But to actually hear it…”
Trixie looked up at Gallus. “Why did you say it then? What changed?”
“Changed?” Gallus asked.
“It didn’t take you much longer after that to start calling Starlight ‘Mom’ too. When did we stop being ‘those two mares who let you crash at their house’ and when did we start being your mothers?”
Gallus lulled over the question for a bit. “I can’t really answer that. The first time I called you ‘Mom’... It just sort of happened. I wasn’t even thinking about it at the time. You asked me to do something, and I just said it like it was the most natural thing. It didn’t take me until actually getting to that spice rack that it fully hit me what I just said. I actually had to find a corner to hide in and have a little mini-freakout.”
Trixie pondered this for a second. “By the time we got home, you just kept on calling me and Starlight ‘Mom’. As if you had been your whole life. You didn’t really seem to want to make a big deal of it, so Starlight and I agreed we wouldn’t either. At least, not in front of you.”
Gallus laughed. “Yeah, that whole ‘mini-freakout’ I mentioned? It… gave me some time to think. The fact that it was so natural, the fact that it did just come out. Well, I figured there was no point in denying what was happening. You had already heard me say it, the damage was done.”
Gallu looked down at his mother, his eyes soft. “You two… were becoming my parents. In every way that actually mattered. And the more I realized that was actually happening, the more I realized how much I wanted it to happen. So, I just… let it.”
Gallus felt his smile stretching across his face. “And I’m so, so happy I did. I’m so happy you guys are my family.”
“Ohhh… Gallus!” Trixie couldn’t find the words that only action could convey as she sat up from her seat to wrap her forelegs around Gallus, pulling him into yet another crushing hug.
One Gallus happily returned.
Unfortunately, the tender moment was a bit diminished when a loud, shrill cry suddenly rang out throughout the house.
“What the-?” Gallus said, pulling away from his mother. “Is that Brim?”
“Oh, the poor thing.” Trixie said. “He’s been going off and on for the past few hours now. Smolder must be at her wit’s end.”
“This has been going on for hours?” Gallus said, the slightest hint of accusation in his voice.
“Hey, I tried to offer my assistance to the young lady!” Trixie said. “But, nooo. This was apparently something she had to take care of ‘on her own’.”
Gallus brought his palm up to his head. “Dang it, Smolder, I thought we talked about this.”
Gallus offered an apologetic look to his mother as he scrambled off the couch. “Look, the kid’s gonna wake up the whole house soon. Do you mind if I…?”
“Go.” Trixie said. “Maybe she’ll actually listen to you and let you help.”
“Hopefully.” Gallus said. --- It didn’t take Gallus long to reach Smolder’s guest-room, all the while, Brim’s crying was only getting louder. Pretty soon, a very cranky Starlight was going to come out of her room unless Gallus did something.
Figuring there was no way Smolder was sleeping through this cacophony, Gallus gave the door to the guest-room the tiniest knock.
He heard a defeated sigh from the other end of the door, a hefty sigh too, considering he heard it over Brim’s crying, before he heard Smolder’s voice from inside.
“Come in…”
Gallus quickly scrambled in before closing the door behind him, making sure the noise didn’t get out for too long.
Upon turning to face Smolder, his heart lurched a bit seeing just how drained his best friend was.
She sat on her bed, back against the bed-post, as she half-heartedly rocked a screaming Brim in her arms.
“He… He won’t go to sleep.” Smolder said, looking to be on the verge of tears herself. “Everytime I manage to get him out for ten minutes, he just fidgets himself back awake.”
Gallus just stood there, no fully aware that he didn’t actually have any sort of plan. “Is there… Is there anything I can do to help?”
Smolder shook her head. “Nothing you can do. He’s just not used to sleeping in a strange place. We’ve only ever slept in our cave before tonight, and he’s not liking the change.”
Smolder closed her eyes as the back of her head hit the bed-post. “Nothing to do but let him cry it out.”
Gallus stood there, wanting to help but not knowing how.
“At least let me take him for a bit, give you a break for second.” Gallus said, offering his talons to the dragoness.
Smolder looked like she was about to decline, but finally relented as she passed Brim over to Gallus who took a seat at the foot of the bed.
While Brim continued to cry his lungs out, his tears were stifled a bit when he noticed the different hands holding him. Opening his eyes, he looked up at Gallus’ face staring down at him.
Within seconds, the shrill crying died down to a mumbling whimper.
“Little traitor…” Smolder said, chuckling. “I can’t believe he actually likes you more than me now.”
“I think he just needed something familiar with everything being so different.” Gallus offered, gently rocking Brim. The fatigue from crying so much was starting to get to the drake as his eyes started to droop.
Smolder stared at the two, visibly uncomfortable with whatever was going on in her mind. “Hey… Gallus?”
Gallus looked up from the babe in his arms. “Yeah?”
“Would you…?” Smolder started before shaking her head. “Ah, nevermind. You’ve already done more than enough.”
“No no, go on.” Gallus prodded. “What were you going to say?”
Smolder looked away, unable to meet his eyes as the scales on her cheeks became a darker shade of orange. “Would you… Would you stay with us? Just for tonight?”
Gallus wasn’t entirely sure what she meant. “Stay with you?”
Smolder grumbled as her cheeks got even darker. “Y’know, sleep here. In this room.” She awkwardly patted the other side of the bed. “In this bed.”
Now Gallus was blushing, thankfully hidden beneath his feathers. “O-oh…”
“It’s just… Look, Brim really likes you. I can’t explain it, he’s just super calm around you.” Smolder said, pleadingly. “So, just for tonight, just until he gets used to sleeping here…”
“Can you sleep with us? Help me keep him calm?”
Gallus was, understandably enough, more than a little shocked at the proposal. A great many thoughts flashed through his mind at the concept of sleeping in the same bed as Smolder, not all of them were all that welcoming.
But one glance at the tired, bag-heavy eyes on his friend more-or-less made the decision for him.
“Sure.” Gallus said.
By that point, Brim had already managed to calm down. Not really asleep, but clearly getting to that point. And a small part of Gallus knew that if he just cut his losses right there, handed him back to Smolder and left for his own room, the crying would have immediately started up again in full force.
So, instead, he waited for Smolder to shuffle herself to one side of the bed and lie down, clearly waiting for Gallus to take his place on the bed.
With a sigh, Gallus laid down across from Smolder, facing her as he gently laid Brim on his back in-between them. Brim apparently decided this wasn’t good enough as he tumbled over to crawl into the crook of Gallus’ chest.
Smolder couldn’t help but smile at the display before turning her tired eyes to the griff across from her.
“Thank you…”
Gallus nodded numbly, his attention mainly on the baby dragon apparently trying to nest in his feathers. “Like I said, I’m your griff.”
With his attention on Brim, Gallus barely noticed it when Smolder quickly leaned forward. Though he definitely noticed it when he felt the slightest peck across his cheek.
Gallus looked up in shock, but Smolder was already back on her side of the bed, already succumbing to the sleep Brim’s constant crying kept her from.
Gallus continued to stare gob-smacked at the now snoozing dragoness laying across from him, absently touching a talon to his cheek.
Did that… Really just happen?
Gallus tried to shake off all the intruding thoughts banging against the door of his brain. She was probably just… really appreciative of him helping out with Brim. Or she was so tired, she wasn’t thinking clearly.
As Gallus continued to stare at Smolder, one errant thought did manage to finally break through.
She was really pretty when she was sleeping.
Gallus immediately shut that thought out, turning to lay on his back so he wouldn’t look at her anymore. But every single detail of her dozing face stayed in his mind.
I’m in deep, deep trouble, Gallus thought to himself.
Gallus’ heart was soaring. Which was fitting, considering the rest of him was soaring as well. He can’t recall ever feeling this way for anything.
Or indeed anyone.
But flying just ahead of him, coaxing him to follow with graceful twists and turns around and through the pure white clouds in the sky, was an absolutely gorgeous griffon. Her orange plumage reminded Gallus of embers from a flame and she seemed to be just as spirited and wild as the fire her appearance invoked.
Gallus couldn’t remember where and how he met this wonderful she-griff, and he was having trouble finding a reason to care. Merely being next to her was engulfing his mind with bliss.
The griffon somersaulted in the air, ever the show-off, turning to face Gallus while upside-down. She smirked as she shot a wink at Gallus, her ocean-blue eyes shining in contrast to the inferno of her feathers.
Then she tucked in her wings and dropped, in free-fall, into a large cloud below them.
Gallus reared back in shock, staring as she was completely engulfed in the fluffy vapor.
Dive-bombing to the cloud in question, Gallus landed on all fours as whatever bizarre magic Gallus never bothered to try and understand kept his footing solid against the gaseous water in the sky.
He glanced to and from, trying to find out where the she-griff disappeared to, sure that she was too good a flier to have been in any danger of falling below the cloud line.
Directly behind him, like a shark trailing the water as it stalked its prey, the she-griff skimmed across the surface of the cloud before launching herself forward, pouncing Gallus and hooking her forelegs across his neck as she pulled him down.
Gallus laughed in surprise, ecstatic to feel the she-griff’s embrace as they both tumbled off their feet, Gallus landing on his back as the she-griff pinned him from above, laying on top of him.
The two griffons giggled at the absurdity before their mirth died down, leaving them to do little more than gaze into each others eyes.
Finally, the she-griff’s eyes began to droop as she lowered her face towards Gallus. Closer and closer, her eyes closed before her beak gently caressed his own.
Gallus closed his eyes before returning the kiss, reaching his claw out to grasp the back of the she-griff’s head to pull her closer.
But as Gallus’ claw found its purchase, a twinge of surprise caught him as he felt something a bit… rougher than feathers.
The she-griff’s beak seemed to… melt into rough lips as she deepened the kiss. Finally she pulled back to look at Gallus once more, a smile of pure contentment from ear to ear on her draconic face.
“What took you so long?” Smolder said. --- Gallus’ eyes shot open, taking a few seconds to recognize the guest room of his mothers’ home.
Smolder was absent from their bed.
Their bed.
Gallus groaned, bringing a claw to his face. I am in deep, deep, deep, trouble, he thought to himself.
He was, however, taken out of his dazed musings by a trilling sound just below his chin. While Smolder had evidently decided to greet the day, Gallus was becoming more and more aware he was not the only one in bed.
Brim, like the night before, cuddled up to Gallus’ chest as he slept far more peacefully than his temper-tantrum last night would have implied.
Gallus gave an errant thought to the idea that Smolder apparently felt comfortable leaving her infant son with an unconscious Gallus while she went out to the waking world. Something he was giving less and less thought to as his tired, groggy brain came to an unrelated conclusion.
Cute baby.
Huffing a tired sigh, Gallus draped his foreleg across Brim’s body, instinctively protecting the sleeping babe from anyone and anything.
Feeling Brim’s gentle breathing against his chest, Gallus almost drifted back to sleep… Had he not heard a mechanical clicking sound from the room’s doorway.
Snapping his eyes open, Gallus craned his head towards the door and saw his mother, Trixie, standing just outside the door with a camera.
“Mom…” Gallus quietly groaned, not wanting to wake up Brim.
“I’m not here.” Trixie said, smiling as she took another picture. “Go back to bed.”
Gallus rolled his eyes before he slowly shuffled out of the bed, taking care not to disturb the sleeping drake.
Tip-toeing out of the room, Gallus quietly closed the door to a crack, wincing at the squeaking hinges.
“He’s adorable.” Trixie whispered. “Reminds me of Mirage.”
“I always forget how tiny Mirage was when you first brought her home.” Gallus said, keeping his eyes on Brim a while longer before turning to his mother. “I remember being so worried my claws would hurt her whenever I held her.” He said, looking down at the razor-sharp appendages in question.
“No, Gallus, you were always gentle as a lamb with her.” Trixie said. “Starlight and I knew you would be an amazing brother. You practically already were to all the under-classmen during your Senior year.”
Gallus blushed at that, suddenly remembering all those bright-eyed Freshmen looking up to him and his friends. After Cozy Glow, the Battle for the Bell, the whole fiasco with Swift Foot’s family, and Pyrus the Fire Rhino, Gallus and his friends were more or less celebrity students for all the newcomers to the school. That attention thankfully died down once threats to Equestria started to become less… regular, something his friends were quite thankful for.
“Smolder’s in the kitchen with Starlight if you want to come say hello.” Trixie said, turning to head that way herself.
“Where’s Mirage?” Gallus asked.
“She went out to hang with her friends. Lil’ Cheese came and picked her up just about an hour ago.”
“Ah. Maybe Smolder and I will run into her on the way to Sandy and Yona’s place.”
As the two entered the kitchen, Gallus saw Smolder and his other mother already deep into their own conversation.
“No foolin’? Fillydelphia?” Smolder asked, leaning slightly against the counter.
“You’d have to ask Spike for details, I’ve never been there myself. But from what I heard, it sounds exactly like what you’ve been looking for.” Starlight said
“What are you two talking about?” Gallus asked, taking a seat next to Smolder.
“Morning sleepyhead.” Smolder said, flashing a coy smile towards the griff. “How’s the kid?”
“Sleeping like a baby.” Gallus said. “Well, y’know, a calm baby. Not the screaming mess he was last night.”
The two shared a giggle before Gallus turned to Starlight. “Come on, don’t change the subject. What was that about Fillydelphia?”
“Ah, yeah, your mom was just telling me about this supposed dragon commune in Fillydelphia. Apparently there’s a whole community of dragons that live right alongside ponies.” Smolder explained.
“Really? How long has this been a thing?” Gallus asked. It was definitely the first time he had ever heard of such a place. Granted, a lot of major cities around Equestria were gaining more and more ‘Melting Pot’ populations, but they were still predominantly ‘Pony’ communities. The idea of a whole section of a city dedicated to an entire species other than ponies within Equestria was a bit different than a handful of random creatures spread across the population.
“According to Spike and Twilight, it’s been around for decades now.” Starlight said, shrugging. “Smolder was just telling me she wants Brim to grow up in a more… Ah, sociable environment, I believe you said?”
“Yeah…” Smolder said, rubbing the back of her neck. “Look, it’s no secret the Dragon Lands ain’t exactly the friendliest place to raise a kid.” She explained to Gallus. “That said, I don’t want Brim to be ashamed of being a dragon. There’s a lot of great things about being a dragon!”
“Heck, I’m pretty much living proof of how amazing dragons can be.” Smolder boasted as Gallus rolled his eyes. “But I want Brim to have more examples than just me or maybe his Uncle Garble or the Dragon Lord.”
“I can understand that.” Gallus said. “Plus, Fillydelphia’s just a short train ride away from Ponyville. I’m sure Sandy and Yona would be ecstatic to have you so close by.”
Smolder blushed at this. “Heh, that would be a bonus. It’d be nice if Brim could visit his ‘cousins’ whenever they wanted.”
“Or you being able to visit Sandy and Yona whenever you want?” Gallus guessed, gently nudging her arm with his elbow.
“Yeah…” Smolder said, looking down at the counter. A soft smile playing across her snout. “I, uh…. It gets pretty lonely in the Dragon Lands. It’s not that I don’t have any friends back home but… It’s not the same as you guys.” She said, turning to meet Gallus’ eyes.
“Honestly, up until I got pregnant with Brim, I didn’t really do all that much except… count the days until I could see one of you guys again.”
Now why does that sound familiar? Gallus thought to himself. He couldn’t help but think back to before his adoption, staring at the blank walls of his hovel, left only imagining the fun he could have had if only he had his friends with him.
He wondered how often Smolder stared at the walls of her cave and felt the same thing.
“You know…” Trixie started, sidling up to Starlight. “If you two want to spend time with your friends without Brim slowing you down, we can look after him for the day.”
“Really? You guys would do that?” Gallus asked, looking to Starlight.
“Sure! It’ll be fun!” Starlight said. “We haven’t had a chance to fawn over a baby since Mirage grew up. Didn’t exactly have a chance to do it with you, Gallus.”
“Despite your best efforts.” Gallus grumbled through his smile.
“No, no…” Smolder said, holding up her hands. “I can’t do that to you guys.”
“We want to!” Trixie said. “Come on, let us be the doting grandmares for one day.”
“I thought we made it clear that I wasn’t Brim’s father!” Gallus said, holding up a claw in admonishment while Smolder chuckled, rolling her eyes at the griff’s insistence.
“Well, not right now…” Trixie mumbled under her breath.
“Ah! What Trixie means-” Starlight hurriedly said, nudging her partner in the ribs. “Is that we think of all of Gallus’ friends as our honorary kids. So that makes Brim a grandkid in our eyes, just like Sorrel and Nettle. And you know how much those two powderkegs love us.”
“Well… I don’t know…” Smolder said, her gaze trailing past Gallus towards the hallway, where the object of their discussion was still sleeping soundly.
“Smolder, let me say this to you as your friend.” Gallus, placing a gentle claw on her own. “Take some time for yourself. You’re an amazing mom, I’ve seen that firsthand. You don’t have to prove it 24/7. You can afford to take it easy every once and awhile.”
“You remember what we talked about at the Reunion, Smolder?” Starlight chided. “About being willing to rely on friends?”
Smolder’s face softened as she ever-so-slightly tightened her grip around Gallus’ claw. “Oh… Alright! But let’s at least wait until Brim wakes up before we leave. I wanna say goodbye to the little squirt.” —- As Smolder was walking through Starlight everything she would need to know about Brim’s needs, bouncing the baby drake in her arms the whole time, Gallus took another look at the wall clock by the door.
It was already half-past nine. They were running late as-is, and Smolder was showing no sign of running out of things to inform Starlight of all the nuances and intricacies of baby dragon care.
“You’re hoof’s a little big for direct feeding, so get a spoon wet and dip that into the powder when he’s ready to eat. If you feel like giving him a treat, he really likes quartz crystals as a snack. But not too much, there’s not a whole lot of nutrition in quartz and I don’t want him getting his dinner spoiled. He might discharge a few sparks, but his flame sac isn’t properly developed yet. Just keep a close eye on him around anything flammable and you’ll be okay. Now, as for naps-“
To his mother’s credit, she was dutifully taking this all in, making sure she didn’t miss anything. But Gallus could tell she was starting to get just a little overwhelmed.
“Hey, Smolder?” Gallus said, jutting his finger towards the clock. “We need to get moving. You’re kinda supposed to eat breakfast in the morning, Y’know?”
“Right, right. I’m sorry, just… Give me a second.” Smolder sighed, finally taking Brim in her hands and lifting him up to eye-level with her.
“You be good for these two, okay squirt? Mommy will be back before you know it.” Smolder kissed the top of Brim’s head, the babe babbling in contentment. “I love you so much…”
Finally, with only a little bit more reluctance, Smolder passed off Brim into Starlight’s waiting hooves, Trixie already getting busy entertaining the babe with nonsense baby-talk and sparkling lights from her horn.
“We’ll take good care of him. You won’t have to worry about a thing.” Starlight reassured, tightening her hold on Brim.
Smolder nodded, gave Brim’s yellow head one last caress, then followed Gallus out the door. —- The two managed to make it to the bottom of the front porch steps before Smolder immediately turned around.
“You know what, I don’t think I told Starlight about dragon sniffles. I should go back and-“
“Smolder.” Gallus groaned.
“I know! I know!” Smolder huffed, folding her arms. “Arrgh!! This sucks! I’ve never… cared! So much! For anything before this! When he’s not here in my arms, it feels like a piece of me isn’t here! When I don’t physically see him, all I can imagine are all the bad things that could happen to him without me there!”
“Boy, Brim’s teenage years are going to be fun…” Gallus said, earning a glare from the dragoness. “What do you want me to say? Welcome to parenthood, Smolder! In the words of my mom: The most thankless, most frustrating job you’ll ever love.”
“No kidding…” Smolder huffed, turning to Gallus. “Do you… Do you really think I’m a good mom?”
“I know you are.” Gallus said, immediately. Not even needing a second to deliberate on the question. “Even ignoring everything I’ve seen so far, I know you’re gonna be great at this because, long before Brim even existed, you were already a tough as nails, caring, protective, no-nonsense dragon. And I’ve only seen your best qualities get better since having Brim. You’re gonna be an awesome mom.”
Smolder looked away, blushing deeply. “Thanks… I…” Smolder trailed off, shaking her head before turning back towards Gallus, smiling. “Thank you.”
Gallus gave his own soft smile in turn, before a question popped into his mind. “Hey… If you’re all Velcro-Mom, hardcore helicopter parenting mode right now… why did you leave Brim alone with me?”
Smolder cocked her head in confusion. “I mean… Cause he was with you. I don’t know, I guess… I guess I knew there was nothing to worry about. I knew that, as long as you were nearby, he’d be perfectly safe.”
“He loves you Gallus. So do I. As far as Brim is concerned, I’d trust you with his life.”
Gallus was taken back a bit, not expecting so much unconditional trust so soon, especially considering how frantic Smolder’s been otherwise. He also couldn’t help but freeze a bit at Smolder very casually dropping the L-Word for him. He knew she meant it as a friend, or even a brother.
Right?
“C’mon, we’ll stop for coffee on the over. My treat.” Gallus said, trying to gloss over what had just been said.
“Oh yeah, cause that’s what my nerves need right now. A rush of caffeine.”
“Oh no, the caffeine is for me! You’re on decaf, Momma.”